Connor Bedard has his extension. The day after Bedard's 21^st birthday, the Blackhawks have rewarded their franchise player with a five-year extension with a $15 million cap hit. The recent Leo Carlsson offer sheet ($18 million per season) only increased the price for Bedard, but the Blackhawks should have no issues paying this to retain a player with as high a ceiling as Bedard. The contract ends in 2031, when Bedard will be a UFA if his contract is not extended beforehand.

In his third NHL season, Bedard took a major step forward, finishing above the point-per-game mark for the first time in his career (75 PTS in 69 GP). Bedard will be reviewed for Band-Aid Boy status, though, as he has appeared in under 70 games in two of his first three seasons. He may also finish under 70 games this coming season, as he is expected to miss the first month of the season following shoulder surgery.  

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The dust has long since settled on the flurry of offseason trades and free agent signings. To catch up on everything, I'll take the opportunity to share my thoughts on a few players moving to new teams.

Connor McMichael

The St. Louis Blues have renovated their forward group this offseason, but do the changes make them better? Out is Jordan Kyrou and in are Mason McTavish and McMichael. For my thoughts on McTavish, you can read the Fantasy Take I wrote shortly after the trade broke. 

McMichael was in the news recently, having signed a six-year contract with an AAV of $6.75 million. Salaries are constantly on the rise these days, but that contract makes McMichael the fifth highest-paid forward on the Blues. That's not the determining factor of where he fits into the lineup, but it might give us an idea. McMichael should comfortably be a middle-6 forward on a Blues' forward unit that could swing either way. The best case scenario for the Blues would involve Robert Thomas centering two very productive wingers (McMichael, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, take your pick), while the worst-case scenario would resemble the Seattle Kraken with a wide variety of interchangeable middle-6 forwards.

McMichael's production fell from 26 goals and 57 points in 2024-25 to 14 goals and 46 points in 2025-26. Virtually all of that point decline was in the form of goals. With some better luck, McMichael would have been able to crack 50 points again, as his shooting percentage declined from 14.7% to 9.9%. However, his shot rate dipped a bit from 2.2 SOG/GP to just 1.8 SOG/GP. Getting shots on goal will be key for his success.

McMichael needs to score points to have any kind of fantasy value. Okay, that sounds like Captain Obvious analysis, but McMichael really does because his peripherals are not that strong. McMichael typically ranges between 40-50 hits per season (about 0.5 hits/GP), roughly the same number of blocked shots, and under 200 shots per season. The power-play points might be a tough call as well. McMichael is a borderline PP1 option with the Blues, and the fact that he registered only 5 PPP with Washington in 2025-26 makes it seem like he is destined for PP2 with St. Louis.

Overall, McMichael should be a fairly safe and reliable option with a 40-point floor and a 60+ point ceiling if he finds himself on Robert Thomas's line and/or the top power play. He probably won't win you your league, but he should earn consistent minutes in St. Louis's forward rotation.

Jordan Kyrou

Heading the other way in the McMichael trade is Kyrou, who will try to rebound in Washington after a bust-level 2025-26 season. Kyrou was one of the players I identified having regretted drafting following the season, which you can read about here. I mentioned then that Kyrou has been on a gradual decline since 2021-22. What I didn't mention is that Kyrou had reached the 30-goal mark in each of his previous three seasons prior to 2025-26, when he scored just 18.

Speaking of teams making forward changes, check out Washington. This team's playoff chances look pretty good.

Source: Frozen Tools – Washington Capitals Depth Chart

Is it better to be a third-line forward on a strong team or a second-line forward on a weak team? What about playing for a strong PP2 as opposed to a weak PP1? Those are questions you'll have to ask yourself if drafting Kyrou. We'll have to see where Kyrou fits in the Capitals lineup, but it's possible that he is below both Alex Tuch and Tom Wilson on the depth chart.

No matter where he is in the lineup, Kyrou will need to return to form by shooting the puck more, as his SOG/GP gradually dropped from 3.4 SOG/GP in 2022-23 to 2.4 SOG/GP in 2025-26. Kyrou could also use better puck luck, as he shot just 10.4% in 2025-26 after shooting around 13-15% over his previous few seasons. For what it's worth, Washington has a strong track record of reviving talented players such as Pierre-Luc Dubois, Dylan Strome, and Jakob Chychrun. That could work in Kyrou's favor.

Alex Tuch

The new era of Capitals hockey will feature Tuch, who signed an eight-year contract with a cap hit of $10.5 million. That makes Tuch the highest-paid player on the Capitals. Where does Alex Ovechkin fit in on his one-year contract? Seventh among forwards with a $4.25 million cap hit. It seems like Ovechkin wants to take one for the team to try to win one more Stanley Cup.

To compare with Kyrou, Tuch has finished with at least 30 goals and 65 points in three of his past four seasons. His shot total has remained consistent between 2-3 SOG/GP, so he seems like more of a known commodity. Given his reliability, size, speed, and what the Capitals paid for him, Tuch should receive top-6 minutes and be featured on the top power play. It's worth mentioning that Kyrou has produced more power-play points (52) than Tuch (31) over the last three seasons, which is something to monitor should Tuch's first season with Washington start slowly. If Kyrou finishes with a better 2026-27 than Tuch, power-play points should factor in.

Overall, Tuch is a safe option who should be given every opportunity to succeed with the Capitals. Expect him to be drafted within the top 100 in many redraft leagues.

Simon Nemec

Nemec could never find his footing in New Jersey, as his overall icetime was limited and he had to compete with both Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes for power-play time. Both he and the Flames are on a fresh slate, as Calgary moved out veterans Rasmus Andersson and Mackenzie Weegar last season as they continue their rebuild.

The Flames also view Nemec as a major part of their plan, having signed him to be their highest-priced defenseman: $7.25 million per season for five seasons. Right off the bat, Nemec should receive top-four minutes with the chance to be the Flames' top right-shot defenseman. Nemec should also battle Zayne Parekh for the role of top power-play QB, which could provide a major boost to his value. But if not, Nemec's value could increase simply from the additional minutes he should receive overall. He needs to develop defensively, but the Flames should be more patient with him than the Devils were simply because of the lack of depth and experience on Calgary's defense.

Nemec is one of the most intriguing names on the Flames' roster simply because they don't have many established fantasy options. It may take him some more time to become a household name in fantasy leagues, but the opportunity is there for the second overall pick in 2022 to deliver on his draft-day potential.  

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As a follow up to yesterday's Ramblings on entry draft results, The Journey writer Victor Nuno is tracking ADPs for entry drafts. Go to the ADP Project page on the Fantasy Hockey Life website to find even more accurate data on where 2026 draft-eligible players are being drafted. 

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By the way, don't forget about the Fantasy Guide… available on July 27. Learn more here. Order it by itself or as part of a Keeper League Pack. I have to go work on my contribution for the guide, which is due very soon. Adios.

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social