The Carolina Hurricanes re-signed forward Martin Necas to a two-year contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing that was under a week away.

One of the most discussed players in the NHL rumor mill has signed a new contract with his current team.

The Carolina Hurricanes announced they've agreed to terms with forward Martin Necas on a two-year contract with a $6.5-million cap hit.

Necas was an RFA with a scheduled arbitration hearing on Aug. 4. The 25-year-old is now signed through the 2025-26 season.

While Necas was rumored to be unhappy with his role on the Hurricanes after the team's elimination from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, leading to speculation he'd be moved during the NHL draft, he's staying with Carolina for now.

"Martin is an immensely skilled player who provides a scoring threat whenever the puck is on his stick,” Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky said in a news release. “He will play a key role in the continued success of our franchise, and we’re excited to have a multi-year contract done.”

Necas recorded 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games with Carolina last season, although his average ice time decreased to 17:21 per game from 18:25 in 2022-23, when he had 71 points in 82 games. Necas was often playing on the third line as a winger, especially once the team acquired Jake Guentzel, although he can also play at center.

But the Hurricanes couldn't keep Guentzel around, and they also agreed with Evgeny Kuznetsov to terminate his contract, leaving Necas an opportunity to increase his role once again.

With the signing, the Hurricanes have $6.44 million in cap space with 22-year-old RFA Seth Jarvis still needing a new contract, per PuckPedia. He had 33 goals and 67 points last season, his third NHL campaign.

For more reaction, visit The Hockey News' Carolina Hurricanes site.

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