It's officially summer, folks. How do we know, you ask? Yes, the Stanley Cup Final series has already kicked off, but that's not the prime indicator. Martin Necas rumors have officially started swirling, and the frenzy that has ensued is a certain head-scratcher. In the above article, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet talks about potentially beneficial trades across the league leading up to Free Agency. He had this to say about Necas, who still has one year remaining on his $6.5 million contract: "The key piece in the first Mikko Rantanen trade this season, Martin Necas largely delivered on what was promised — he was just shy of being a point-per-game player in the regular season and found a home on Colorado’s top line. But before that trade, Necas only signed a short-term deal with Carolina when the two sides couldn’t agree on his long-term value, meaning he has one season left making $6.5 million against the cap, after which he could test the waters as a UFA. “After the Avalanche moved Rantanen because of how difficult they perceived contract extension talks to be going, how much patience will they have with Necas — not a homegrown player or superstar talent — if negotiations on an extension start slowly this July? There was a sense Necas wasn’t overly thrilled with his experience in Colorado and that he wants to explore other options." The quote that garners a lot of attention: "There was a sense Necas wasn't overly thrilled with his experience in Colorado." WHERE THIS ALL STARTED Rumors began circulating in the summer of 2024, following the end of his previous bridge deal, that Necas was unhappy with his time in Carolina. Necas' father spoke out, saying that the forward wanted minutes on the first line and the first power-play unit, opportunities he wasn't consistently getting under head coach Rod Brind'Amour. The understanding was that Necas was unhappy with his utilization and felt that he wasn't able to play to his full capabilities. His father even went on to say in an interview with Denik Sport, "Martin wants to be traded." Is Martin Necas' Time in Carolina Coming to a Close? [https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/deweb-519a7.appspot.com/o/images%2FNHLCH?alt=media&1715628902653&1715628902653] Is Martin Necas' Time in Carolina Coming to a Close? When the clock struck 0:00 and the Carolina Hurricanes were eliminated in Game 6 in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the New York Rangers, emotions were running high. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/players/is-martin-necas-time-in-carolina-coming-to-a-close] It seems as though those comments held some truth to them, considering the blockbuster trade that sent him and teammate Jack Drury [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/official-avalanche-deal-mikko-rantanen-to-carolina-in-shocking-blockbuster-trade], who had also reportedly requested a trade in previous off-seasons, to the Avalanche in exchange for Mikko Rantanen. In Carolina, this past season yielded incredible results for Necas - the best of his career. In 49 games played with the club, he still ranks highly among their roster: * Points: 55 (3rd) * Goals: 16 (6th) * Assists: 39 (2nd) * Power-Play Goals: 7 (T-2nd, Seth Jarvis) Rumors also broke around the same time that alluded to Necas not being happy playing on the wing. When he was drafted, many listed him as a natural center. With Carolina's log-jam at the center position during his time with the team, HC Rod Brind'Amour didn't have much wiggle room and, instead, focused on developing him as a winger. HOW DID THINGS IN COLORADO SHAKE OUT? He ended the season with 83 points, tallying 11 goals and 17 assists in the remaining 30 games he played with the Avalanche in the regular season, averaging just under a point per game. Impressive? Given the change in systems he needed to adapt to, most would say so. Necas was accustomed to playing a style with Carolina that emphasized a heavy neutral-zone presence and hard-checking game. Brind'Amour demands a certain defensive style from his players that wasn't much suited for Necas. His absence from Carolina's penalty kill units further proves that. With the Hurricanes, he was never on a consistent line for long, never mind on the first line. What he DID get in Colorado, though, was consistent first-line minutes next to one of the best active players in the NHL and minutes on the first power-play unit, both things he reportedly wanted. In these situations on the ice, especially next to Nathan MacKinnon, he could put his best assets to use: his speed and ability to transition the puck - something Carolina had to adapt to missing after he was traded away. But, then begs the question: if he got what he was asking for, why wouldn't he be thrilled? First, let's all remember to take the report with a grain of salt. This is ONE journalist with a single report after a tumultuous season for every party involved in this trade. Everyone was shocked by the blockbuster trade, despite two of the three players involved having reportedly requested to be moved in previous years (i.e., Necas and Drury). Second, if there is any truth to this, all bets here are on him not getting more of an opportunity to prove himself as a natural center. He was given one game by head coach Jared Bednar in MacKinnon's absence (due to a minor injury) on April 10th against the Vancouver Canucks. It didn't last longer than two periods. Call it a lack of experience or simply not being built to play the position, but when a guy who wants to play center is out on the ice for three of the four goals allowed, it's not the greatest way to build an argument to play him there consistently. He was only at center for one of those goals, as he was moved back to the wing in the third period, but that lone goal saw him caught too deep in the other end and then leisurely skating back... Not the best look. In his defense, that was an off-game for the team as a whole, as Coach Bednar said following the game that the team wasn't skating enough. Bad decisions were made, breakouts were "terrible," zone transitions weren't up to his standards, and he made sure everyone knew that the lineup shuffling due to missing guys was not an excuse for any of it. THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: WILL NECAS GET TRADED? All that to say... With the Brock Nelson extension securing a player at the 2C position for the next three years, there's not much of an opportunity for Necas to get another look at center. And now with talks of the Avalanche potentially targeting Stanley Cup-winning center Jonathan Toews, it looks less and less likely for the Czech native. The Big Show crew discusses Jonathan Toews rumors. The idea is that, with Necas' contract expiring after the 2025-26 season, the Avalanche may put a deal in front of him somewhere between $7 million and $9 million. After the points he put up in the regular season this past campaign, a number in that range seems generous enough and would be his largest salary sum yet. Necas has never signed a deal longer than three years, his most recent contracts acting as bridge deals while Necas continued to prove himself. His worth has always been a point of contention in contract talks, even leading the forward to file for arbitration in 2024 before the season. Hearing dates for players were not released, but he signed his two-year, $6.5 million deal on July 29th, 2024. Rumors have popped up in the last few weeks that the Avalanche may consider trading him to earn some draft capital back, or to deepen their roster even further, but NHL insider Elliotte Friedman alluded to rumors being just that: rumors. My expectation is that Martin Necas will be in the starting lineup for the Avalanche come October. From there, he has a chance to work further with MacKinnon and best his numbers from this past season to earn himself a heftier contract. If he is traded by the deadline next March, it won't be from lack of trying on Chris MacFarland and company's part. Stylistically, Necas is a perfect fit for this team, especially next to MacKinnon on the first line. He's gotten almost everything he's wanted out of how he's been utilized on the ice, so that can no longer be an excuse as to why he couldn't get a deal done with Colorado. The main factors, in my eyes, will be the salary and whether or not playing center is a dealbreaker for him moving forward. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bookmark THN's Colorado Avalanche site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche] so you never miss the latest news surrounding the burgundy and blue! Make sure you also bookmark The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/] to keep up on all things hockey, from NHL to AHL to PWHL and so much more!
