Martin Necas needs to have a productive postseason for the Avalanche

The surface-level stats that Martin Necas put up for team Czechia are impressive. In five games, he led all Czech players with three goals and five assists for a total of eight points. But it was the play driving that he produced that was the foundation of the Czech’s offensive engine. The hope is that Necas will bring this same mentality back with him to the Colorado Avalanche.

Creating in transition

One of Necas’ biggest strengths in the Olympics was his play in transition. He was particularly effective using his elite combination of speed, vision, and skill to open up the ice for himself and his teammates. These types of plays are particularly hard to defend because the defenders do not have time to get set up in-zone and have to play reactive hockey.

It will be important for Necas to bring this play-driving mindset back with him to the Avalaanche. Too often, he has been guilty of – understandably – deferring to Nathan MacKinnon rather than trusting in himself to be the one to create opportunities.

He will also need to demonstrate the restraint he found at the Olympics to not force plays as much and to take advantage of opportunities as they develop. If he can bring this elevated level of his game back with him, he will put himself and his teammates in a great position to produce a ton of offense and many goals.

A shooting mentality

Necas led all of Team Czechia with 23 shots on goal, which averages out to 4.6 shots per game played. For a player who is known as a pass-first guy, he was assertive about getting the puck on net as much as possible. This assertiveness translated into scoring opportunities not only for himself, but also for his teammates in the form of rebound chances and bigger passing lanes.

This shooter’s mentality is a must for Necas as he returns to the Avs. So far this season, he is only averaging 2.38 shots on goal per game, which is almost half of his Olympic production. His offense becomes very one-dimensional and easy to defend against if the defense can cheat on the passing lanes because they do not see him as a legitimate shooting and scoring threat.

Necas has a great shot, and he needs to use it more. Not only will it lead to more goals for him, but it will also open the ice more for MacKinnon, Lehkonen, Makar, or whoever else is out there with him. And more ice for those players will multiply their offensive threat even more.

Revving up the power play

Necas was a key cog in the success of the Czech power play, including notching two power play goals. Both goals came from the left face-off circle on his patented one-timer. The speed with which he was able to get his shot off was a key part in both goals, as well as many other chances that the man-advantage produced.

While it is well-known that MacKinnon prefers to set-up in that same face-off circle on the power play, one of the keys to jump-starting the Avs’ league-worst power play should be to give that spot to Necas. His shot from there is better and he still possesses the elite skill to distribute from that side of the ice. It would also free up MacKinnon to be more dynamic as a rover around the zone. The Avs do themselves no favors by keeping him static. 

The biggest stain on Martin Necas’ reputation as an NHL superstar has been his inability to elevate his game in the playoffs. If the Colorado Avalanche are going to cash in on their Stanley Cup aspirations, then they are going to need Necas to play more than a supporting role to MacKinnon and Makar. He needs to raise his game to match theirs and help drive the Avs to championship glory. And his experiences at the Olympics games could end up being the factor that helps him break out of his playoff funk and lead his team to victory.