Connor McMichael couldn’t repeat his breakthrough 2024-25 season, and it’s not a surprise why.
By the Numbers
14
Goals
32
Assists
78
Games played
17
Minutes per game
On-ice percentages
47%
Shot attempts
48%
Expected goals
52%
Actual goals
Isolated Impact by HockeyViz
About this visualization: This image by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows how the player has impacted play when on the ice. At the top of the image is the team’s offense (even strength at left, power play at right) and at bottom is the team’s defense (with penalty kill at bottom right). In each case, red/orange blobs mean teams shoot for more from that location on the ice, and blue/purple means less. In general, a good player should have red/orange blobs near the opponent’s net at top, and blue/purple blobs near their own team’s net at bottom. The distributions in middle show how the player compares to league average at individual finishing, setting up teammates to score, and taking and drawing penalties. The number at center is Synthetic Goals: a catch-all number for the player’s impact.
Player Card by Evolving Hockey
About this player card: This card from Josh and Luke of Evolving Hockey compares the player to league averages based on their impact on on-ice statistics. GAR means “goals above replacement,” where “replacement” means an average player called up from the AHL. xGAR is the same figure but assuming league-average goaltending. The numbers at top are the player’s percentile ranks overall and then for offense and defense alone.
Player Overview by NHL Edge
About this visualization: The NHL’s advanced statistics program, Edge, tracks player and puck movement. The player’s shot speed, skating speed, and skating distance are at top along with percentile rank. At bottom left is a shot location map, and at bottom right is zone time per zone.
Gratuitous Generative Art by Peter
Peter’s Take
Last season, in 2024-25, Connor McMichael skated 145 minutes with PLD and Protas. They outscored opponents 12-2 in that time. Domination.
They played less than three minutes together in 2025-26, and you can see it reflected in McMichael’s stats. His goal total dropped from 26 to 14, and his on-ice shot-attempt percentage dropped from 52.3 to 45.9 percent.
To CMCM’s great credit, he actually ticked up in assists – from 31 to 32.
There’s a player we’ll talk about when we get to the S part of the alphabet around whom there is suspicion he’s overly dependent on teammates to look good. Connor McMichael is more deserving of that criticism. His breakthrough season depended on a cushy spot on the second line. Playing different responsibilities – sometimes 2C, sometimes 3C, quite often on the wing – McMichael couldn’t get near his old productivity. And his lines in particular struggled most with advancing through the neutral zone on transition to attack.
So I’m at a loss, or at least I’m pretending to be out of charity. McMichael isn’t the primary puck-mover we hoped he would be. He’s even weaker without the puck. But his skill at making plays is well-proven by now. So how should the Caps use him?
They need to figure that out as they enter contract negotiations with the restricted free agent.
CMCM on RMNB
- The plan at season start was to put McMichael at center. Specifically 3C.
- But then, for whatever reason, Hendrix Lapierre’s preseason earned him an audition there.
- Spencer Carbery believed, after losing PLD, that “that the answers are here” to fix the middle six. I don’t think he was right on that one.
- Huge defensive play against Jordan Martinook.
- On snapping a long goal-less streak after moving back to wing: “I haven’t been playing at the level I want to.”
- Was McMichael part of the Quinn Hughes bid?
- Connor’s dad Murray McMichael celebrated his son’s goal with Blackhawks fans.
Connor McMichael completes Capitals comeback, scores overtime game-winner against Canadiens
- McMichael nursed an injury in January. Week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
- On contract extension talks: “I’m sure we’ll sort it out here soon”.
Your Turn
What’s Connor McMichael’s true and fated position?
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