The Colorado Avalanche and impending UFA winger Martin Necas are now under pressure to figure out a contract extension. The heat just turned up following the news of Kirill Kaprizov’s massive extension with the Minnesota Wild.
As my colleague Graham Tiedtke noted, Kaprizov’s mind-shocking deal makes Nathan MacKinnon’s contract look like the biggest bargain in the NHL. And that sheds light on Necas’ situation.
The Avalanche face a gargantuan decision with Necas. The hope is that the club can re-sign him for the long haul. But the issue, it would seem, is that Necas wants to get paid. Now, don’t get me wrong. He’s a fine player and deserves to have his talent rewarded.
But that’s not the point. The matter now turns to getting a deal out of the way. You see, Kaprizov’s deal just set the floor for superstar contracts, that is, the handful of impactful game-changing players.
That floor applies to guys like Connor McDavid, for instance. But for players like Necas, who haven’t quite attained superstar status, Kaprizov’s deal is somewhat of a limit. Anyone who believes Necas should get $17 million AAV must be off their rocker.
So, how much should Necas get?
Considering how the market dynamics have just shifted, Necas could ask for anything between $12 million and $17 million. That’s quite a wide range, but it’s the type of money Necas could realistically target.
The only question remaining is: Are the Colorado Avalanche willing to play what Necas’ camp asks for? That’s the dilemma the Avs must solve now.
Colorado Avalanche must pay or trade Necas
As simplistic as it may sound, the Colorado Avalanche are down to two paths with Martin Necas. They can either pay or trade him. There’s really no other way around it.
As we’ve outlined before, the Avs face the same situation with Necas as they did with Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen needed a new contract, and the Avs didn’t want to pay him more than Nathan MacKinnon.
That’s the same storyline the Avalanche are facing this season. So, they either pay Necas, likely more than MacKinnon, or move him.
Sure, trading Necas would be a decent move. But there’s no telling who would want to take on Necas’ contract demands. A rebuilding team like the Anaheim Ducks or Chicago Blackhawks might consider it.
But then again, Necas might balk at signing with such a team. Perhaps the Avalanche can convince Necas to take $12 million over five or six years? That would put him on par with MacKinnon, but slightly under.
At this point, Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland will likely reach out to Necas’ camp to see where their thought process is. While Necas isn’t at Kaprizov’s level just yet, Necas’ camp could use Kaprizov’s deal as a ballpark. At that point, MacFarland must decide if he’s willing to go along for the ride.
If a trade becomes the way out, the Avalanche must do their due diligence before pulling the trigger. I can envisage several teams looking at Necas as a piece that could put them over the top.
Think about the Toronto Maple Leafs or Florida Panthers. The Panthers, in particular, just lost Aleksander Barkov for the season. So, adding Necas, while not a center, could help offset Barkov’s loss.
It would be tough to see Necas balking at going to Florida. Similarly, a team like the Maple Leafs, who have a clear opening on their top line, could use Necas. The Leafs were willing to pay Rantanen. They had a $100 million deal on the table, and the Carolina Hurricanes nixed it. So, could that mean the Leafs might be willing to pony up for Necas? It’s a possibility.
These are just two examples of deals the Avalanche must consider. The decision will come much sooner than most fans could anticipate. The longer the Avalanche hold on to Necas, the more they risk missing out on a massive trade.
Otherwise, just pay the man and get it over with.