NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets

As Martin Necas re-signed with the Hurricanes, there was still some trade speculation about him. As for the Jets, will Rutger McGroarty be traded anytime soon?

The Carolina Hurricanes avoided salary arbitration with Martin Necas, signing the 25-year-old forward on Monday to a two-year, $13-million contract. With an average annual value of $6.5 million, it's a significant raise over the $3-million cap hit of his previous deal.

Necas was a frequent subject of trade speculation since the Hurricanes' post-season ended in May. Reports claimed he was unhappy with his role as a third-line winger and would welcome a move to a club where he'd take on a larger role. 

Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky recently said he would continue talking with clubs interested in Necas but indicated those parties no longer had the salary-cap flexibility they had in June. The recent departures of forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen likely played a role in Tulsky's determination to get Necas under contract.

Before the Necas deal was announced, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli called him the one player he was surprised hadn't been traded this summer.

Seravalli believes the Buffalo Sabres had a deal in place for Necas, but it fell apart because the winger wouldn't agree to sign a contract extension. He also thinks the Winnipeg Jets offered center Cole Perfetti, prospect forward Rutger McGroarty, and a draft pick, but it didn't get done, or Necas wasn't willing to sign with the Jets.

The Hurricanes could still move Necas at some point, especially if it appears he'll test the UFA market in 2026. His new contract also lacks no-trade protection. For now, however, they seem willing to give Necas that larger role he craves and see how he handles it.

Necas' new contract leaves the Hurricanes with $6.44 million in cap space for 2024-25. Tulsky's focus shifts to getting Seth Jarvis under contract. A versatile forward who plays center or win, the 22-year-old Jarvis has established himself as a core forward for the Hurricanes.

Some observers believe Jarvis should get an eight-year deal with an $8-million cap hot, but that won't happen unless Tulsky sheds some salary from the NHL roster. The young forward lacks leverage coming off his entry-level deal and might end up settling for a short-term bridge deal for around $5 million annually. 

Speaking of the Jets and McGroarty, his future with the club was among the topics Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe addressed in a recent mailbag segment.

McIntyre doesn't expect Winnipeg to give up on McGroarty, who is returning to the University of Michigan for his junior year amid reports of a disconnect with Jets management over his development path. McIntyre doesn't see the Jets moving him for pennies on the dollar if the relationship can't be salvaged.

Wiebe noted there were conversations with other clubs about trading McGroarty during the draft week. While the Jets haven't given up trying to repair the relationship, Wiebe thinks the young forward could be part of a deal by next year's trade deadline for a return that includes a defenseman with several years left on his contract.

The Jets also have Perfetti still to re-sign. The RFA is coming off his entry-level contract, and he had 38 points in 71 games last season. His average ice time of 13:35 was the lowest in his parts of three seasons in the NHL. Winnipeg has about $5.8 million in cap space to get him signed, which shouldn't be an issue.

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