Top NHL Trade Target Fits With Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins would make a perfect destination for a top trade target.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes have come together for a big trade once in recent memory. Could they do it again? The Hurricanes are likely looking to give forward Martin Necas a change of scenery, and the Penguins could be a perfect fit.
According to Pierre LeBrun on TSN, Necas is a hot topic around the league right now, and quite a few teams are checking on a possible price.
“My understanding from talking to teams around the league the last few days,” LeBrun said. “At least half of the teams in the National Hockey League have checked in with Carolina over the last seven to 10 days.”
While LeBrun did not open a list of teams that may have made a call, he noted that at least the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames have expressed interest.
With so many teams keeping in touch, it would make sense for the Penguins to be in that hunt. Necas is a young forward who can produce at a top-six level. He fills multiple boxes of players that the Penguins are looking for.
Necas is an expiring restricted free agent, and a new contract will be needed, but given the right moves, the Penguins should be able to afford it. Necas is coming off a contract that earned him just $3 million against the cap. If the Penguins could get him in under $8 million while moving out faces like Reilly Smith and/or Rickard Rakell, there wouldn’t be much push against the cap.
At just 25 years old, Necas also helps the Penguins get younger. Kyle Dubas made it a goal of his to lower the Penguins’ average age for the 2024-25 season, and doing that through free agent signings won’t be easy.
Trades will be necessary for the Penguins, and Necas could be a solid target. In 362 career games, Necas has scored 97 goals and 146 assists for 243 total points. His career-best season came not too long ago in 2022-23, with 71 points (28G-43A) in all 82 games.
Someone with that skill set could easily keep the production up for guys like Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, who are at the tail end of their careers. Crosby and Malkin still have what it takes to produce, but they need young legs surrounding them, especially Malkin.
If the Penguins are among the 16 teams keeping up with Necas, they should keep their foot on the pedal until the very end.
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