The NHLPA announced 14 players elected for salary arbitration, including Martin Necas, who's been a topic of trade speculation. Adam Proteau reacts.
Martin NecasCarolina Hurricanes winger Martin Necas led the group of 14 NHLers who elected for salary arbitration, the NHL Players’ Association announced late Friday afternoon.
Necas is the most prominent player of the group – and one of two Hurricanes players to ask for arbitration, the other being youngster Jack Drury. But there are many everyday NHLers who joined them in asking for a hearing to decide their pay in 2024-25.
The 13 others in that group are Toronto’s Connor Dewar, San Jose’s Ty Emberson, Columbus’ Jet Greaves, Jake Christiansen and Kirill Marchenko, the New York Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren, Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Beck Malenstyn, Tampa Bay’s J.J. Moser, Nashville’s Spencer Stastney, Detroit’s Joe Veleno, and the New York Islanders’ Oliver Wahlstrom.
Necas earned $3 million in each of the past two seasons. There have been rumors he wants to be traded, given a handsome raise and play more minutes, with many teams interested in his abilities as a 20-to-30-goal scorer.
New Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky must be careful with his limited salary cap space, but the longer Necas goes without a contract, the more probable it is the Hurricanes find a new home for him, no matter how the arbitration works out.
Intriguingly, Boston Bruins star goalie Jeremy Swayman did not elect for arbitration this year, leaving his situation with the B's a fluid one for the moment. Swayman went to arbitration last summer, landing a one-year, $3.475-million contract. But with veteran Linus Ullmark traded out of Boston, Swayman’s leverage has increased. Clearly, he believes he’s in line for a bigger raise than an arbitrator would’ve given him.
There’s no real danger of an offer sheet being submitted for Swayman’s services, but Bruins GM Don Sweeney has to be delicate with Swayman and not sour him on the negotiating process. Boston has about $8.6 million in salary cap space, and much, if not most of that will go to Swayman as he settles into the No. 1 role.
The deadline for the league’s second club-elected salary arbitration notification is Saturday. Arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4.
