Martin Necas: the idea of a three-team deal is gaining ground in the NHL

Martin Necas has been the talk of the NHL world for several weeks now. The Hurricanes forward is the talk of the town, and his days in Raleigh are numbered.

And when a young top-6 forward becomes available, there’s a lot of talk.

The Habs, who are looking for a forward with such a profile, have been linked to the Czech’s case for quite some time. That said, as Elliotte Friedman recently noted, the Habs probably don’t have what the Canes are looking for.

Unless the Hurricanes want a guy like Cole Caufield… and the Habs decide, like Antoine Roussel, that he’s not untouchable.

Which means that the best chance of Necas ending up in Montreal is via a three-team trade… and the good news for the Habs is that this idea is gaining ground in the NHL.

Elliotte Friedman noted this morning on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that some teams are considering it… and others are expecting teams to try.

More on Necas: Elliotte has been told Carolina has talked to some teams about what they want. Some teams that may not have what Carolina is looking for may be looking at doing a three team deal. #CauseChaos #NHL

– NHL Trade Alert (@NHLTradeAlert) June 11, 2024

Of course, we don’t know if the Habs are among the teams considering trying to construct a three-team trade. One wonders if the club could trade defensemen in order to pick up a player the Hurricanes are a little more interested in.

Whether it’s a forward to make up for the loss of Necas… or a goalie to solidify the Carolina position if the club isn’t satisfied with Frederik Andersen’s work.

If the idea is circulating around the league, though, it’s because it has at least some basis in fact. Again, this doesn’t mean the Habs are necessarily in the mix… but it does suggest that teams may have a chance even if they don’t have what the Hurricanes are looking for.

And when you consider that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton were once so creative in the trade that brought Kirby Dach to Montreal…