Martin Necas: all signs point to a contract extension in Carolina

The current off-season in the National Hockey League offers a number of interesting dossiers to keep an eye on from near and far.

Indeed, there are a number of transaction rumors swirling around the NHL, involving several solid young talent.

And if there’s one player everyone’s been keeping an eye on since the start of the off-season, it’s Carolina Hurricanes Czech forward Martin Necas.

The 25-year-old forward has been at the center of trade rumors for quite some time, and this has only intensified since the start of the off-season until the draft.

Necas was linked to several teams in the first few weeks of the off-season, including the Montreal Canadiens, and even came very close to being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the draft.

In short, everything indicated that Necas would be leaving Carolina and heading elsewhere.

And yet, in recent weeks and days, it’s been very quiet on the file, with nothing new to report since it became known that Necas could go to arbitration for negotiations on his next contract.

And now, according to the latest news, everything points to Necas staying with the Carolina Hurricanes and signing a one- or two-season contract extension via arbitration.

For @TheAthletic: Martin Necas’ future and notes from development camp.https://t.co/ROekaSGGdc

– Cory Lavalette (@corylav) July 14, 2024

The case for the 25-year-old Czech has changed dramatically, from a 90% chance of Necas leaving to a 90% chance of Necas staying in Carolina.

But what could have caused this drastic change?

Well, with the draft and especially the free agent market now open, the Carolina Hurricanes look a lot different than when they were eliminated from the recent playoffs in the second round against the New York Rangers.

Indeed, on the free agent market, the Hurricanes have lost some very big pieces, as jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay), Teuvo Teravainen (Chicago) and Stefan Noesen (New Jersey) have all left Carolina.

These three departures leave big holes in the Hurricanes’ line-up, especially if Martin Necas doesn’t return to the team.

So, now that the Hurricanes have room in their lineup, and especially room on their payroll, well, all indications are that Necas should be in Carolina for the 2024-2025 season.

As The Athletic’s Cory Lavalette reports, with the majority of other NHL teams having completed their off-seasons in preparation for the upcoming campaign and the holes in the Canes’ roster, the path seems set for Necas to sign a new one-year (or possibly two-year) contract in Carolina, whether via negotiation or arbitration.

Ultimately, this would give Necas what he wants, namely an established place in an NHL top-6 with high-caliber players, and an important role on the team.

With around $14 million available, the Hurricanes could get away with signing Necas for around $6 million a year, which would potentially leave them enough money to also sign Seth Jarvis and Jack Drury to bridge contracts.

In short, the Martin Necas file has evolved considerably, and we’re likely to see him back in Canes colors next season.

On the other hand, the rumours of a deal may be put to rest.

Overtime

– Incredible.

Chris Chelios riding the bike in the sauna when he was playing in the AHL for the Chicago Wolves at age 48 pic.twitter.com/nXg6d7RaK8

– Missin Curfew (@MissinCurfew) July 13, 2024