Martin Necas was the key piece of the return that the Avalanche received from the Carolina Hurricanes in the sudden Mikko Rantanen blockbuster trade in January.
The 27-year-old was the one that Avs GM Chris MacFarland didn’t want to miss out on. Carolina reportedly was considering dealing Necas to Vancouver in a separate trade, which sped up the urgency for the Avs to trade their franchise winger.
They wanted Necas, and they got him.
But just over five months later, one NHL insider, Nick Kypreos, believes Necas isn’t as sold on the Avs as we may believe.
Kypreos released his first Trade Board on Sportsnet on Tuesday and had Necas listed as one of the names to watch.
“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?” Kypreos wrote.
“There was a sense Necas wasn’t overly thrilled with his experience in Colorado and that he wants to explore other options.”
That last part is the surprise. And I’m not entirely sure if I believe it entirely. But it doesn’t change the fact that something felt off about the Necas acquisition from the start.
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Not because he’s not a good player, he posted 11 goals and 17 assists in 30 games after the trade (and one goal and four assists in seven playoff games).
It’s also not because he’s done anything to show he doesn’t like it in Colorado either. Necas got an elevated role and was attached to Nathan MacKinnon from the first day. His ice time shot up, as did his importance to the roster compared to how the Carolina Hurricanes were deploying him. How could he not have enjoyed this?
It’s also not because he’s a bad locker room fit. From what I’ve seen, Necas is a stand-up guy that the team’s core enjoys having around.
But what struck me from the first day was his contract situation. Necas didn’t want to lock in a long-term deal with Carolina last summer. Instead, he signed for two years to walk himself straight to unrestricted free agency. His contract demands were well out of the Canes’ budget.
Is that going to happen here? I’m not sure. But if the issue with Rantanen was the uncertain cap hit and an inability to build around a top-heavy roster, then I don’t think I agree with him getting traded for a player that isn’t already locked up for a manageable cap hit.
What if Necas asks for $10 million? Was all of this worth saving $2-$3 million? I’d certainly rather have Rantanen at $12 million than Necas at $10 million. Necas makes $6.5 million now, which is a lot lower than Rantanen’s cap hit, and allows the Avs to use the added cap space elsewhere. But it’s only for one more year. And that’s the problem.
This report is just an added element to an already intriguing situation. If Necas and the Avs can’t agree to the framework of a deal — one that can’t be signed until July 1 — then MacFarland should absolutely entertain the idea of trading him.
The Avs can’t afford to lose Necas for nothing in a year, nor should they allow this thing to linger like they did with Rantanen.
Either sign him now, or trade him before the offseason ends. That’s where I stand on this — whether he’s truly “not overly thrilled” or not.
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