The alarms went off for Colorado Avalanche fans when Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos posted his Off-Season Trade Board earlier this week.
While most of the names were hardly surprising, one stood out: Martin Necas.
My initial reaction was to brush off Kypreos’ comments. Perhaps he was just being a tad dramatic in suggesting that Necas wasn’t “overly thrilled” and that he “wants to explore other options.”
But that was before the Brock Nelson extension. Now that the Avalanche have signed Nelson to a three-year pact, which seems like somewhat of an overpay, the Avs have no cap space and several players still o sign.
So, I circled back to Necas and Kypreos’ rumors. With one more year left at $6.5 million and set to become a UFA next summer, now would be the time for the Avalanche to explore moving Necas.
Necas does not have a no-trade clause and won’t be hard to find a trade partner. While Necas and Nelson showed some chemistry, Necas’ underwhelming performance in the playoffs came under fire after Mikko Rantanen went berserk.
Granted, Rantanen came back down to earth, but the questions linger.
I will go out on a limb and say that if the Avalanche don’t move Necas by the 2025 NHL Draft, the Avs will be looking to sign him to an extension.
But if the two sides can’t get a deal done, the Avalanche could be shopping Necas all summer.
Martin Necas unlikely to re-sign with Colorado Avalanche this summer
Kypreos is on the money about one thing in his report. Necas’ intention has been to test free agency all along. That’s the reason why he didn’t want to sign a long-term deal in Carolina, prompting the Hurricanes to move him.
This notion doesn’t preclude Necas from re-signing in Colorado. However, it does mean that the Avalanche probably won’t ink him to a deal before next summer. If the Avalanche wanted to, it would likely require an overpay.
If I were in the Avalanche front office, I would wait a little. It’s a calculated gamble. If Necas has a fantastic year, his value would soar. But if he tanks, the Avalanche would have more certainty about the type of player they would be betting on.
Also, if Necas has a bad year, trading him would be tough. That’s why the Avalanche must be certain that if they can’t re-sign Necas now or trade him by the draft, it’s best to hold on. There’s no sense in overpaying for Necas at this point if the team can’t be certain they’ll get their money’s worth.
It appears that Necas is bent on testing free agency. That’s why he’s shaping up to be next year’s trade deadline’s most appealing rental.