Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Martin Necas

Team Czechia Wins 2024 IIHF World Championship

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Team Czechia has made history on home ice, taking home the Gold Medal at the IIHF World Championship for the first time in 14 years (Twitter link). It is Czechia’s fifth time winning Gold since 2000 – the second-most of any country, behind Canada’s seven wins. Czechia has now medaled in 10 of the 11 visits the World Championship has made to Prague, including winning Gold Medals on home ice in 1947, 1972, 1985, and now 2024.

Czechia entered this year’s tournament as a favorite among the European competition, though they faced a tall order against Team Canada and Team USA teams now filled with hopeful Olympians. That’s the story they started that played out through the preliminary round, with Czechia winning hard-fought games against Finland and Norway – though a surprise performance from Team Switzerland was enough to push Czechia to a shootout loss in their third game. The Czechs bounced back with wins against Denmark, Austria, and Great Britain – and then revealed an ace up their sleeve, adding each of Martin Necas, Pavel Zacha, and international standout David Pastrnak to their lineup ahead of their matchup with Team Canada to finish the preliminary round.

Perhaps jet lagged, the reloaded Czechia lineup fell to another shootout loss against Canada. But they showed their cohesion when the elimination games rolled around – winning a hard-fought, 1-0 quarterfinals game against Team USA, reinspiring their offense in a dazzling 7-3 semifinals win over Team Sweden, and then getting revenge on Switzerland with a strong 2-0 win in the Gold Medal Game.

It was, surprisingly, Martin Necas who made the biggest addition of the late-stage NHL additions – scoring seven points in five games comapred to Pastrnak and Zacha’s one point each through four games. But it was Czech hockey legend Roman Cervenka and former Columbus Blue Jacket Lukas Sedlak who led the way for the country’s offense, recording 11 and 10 points respectively through 10 games. Czechia was also helped along by a standout performance from Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, who posted a .939 save percentage – saving 200 of 213 shots – through eight starts.

This World Championship win gives Czechia fantastic momentum headed into the 2026 Winter Olympics. They should be poised for a few notable additions in that tournament, including Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek, while also holding their breath to see if Cervenka can play into his 40s. But even through changes, this Czech lineup has stamped their place on top of Europe’s hockey world.

Canucks Showing Interest In Martin Necas

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Canucks will be one of the teams interested in acquiring forward Martin Nečas’ signing rights if the Hurricanes shop him over the next few weeks, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on The Jeff Marek Show today.

Rumors around the Canucks will be all over the place in the coming week as they attempt to re-sign a large slate of big-ticket pending RFAs and UFAs, including defenseman Filip Hronek and center Elias Lindholm. While they’ll try and get extensions done for whoever they can, it’s clear the team is thoroughly examining contingency plans in case they can’t come to agreements that would allow them to stay under the salary cap.

It isn’t the first time Vancouver’s been linked to Nečas. In a brief but bizarre saga before star center Elias Pettersson signed his eight-year, $92.8MM extension in March, Friedman reported the Canucks were in “advanced” talks with Carolina about a deal for the then-pending RFA. Today, Friedman confirmed on “32 Thoughts: The Podcast” that Nečas would have been part of the return to Vancouver had the trade gone through.

While the 25-year-old Nečas has played mostly on the wing with the Canes, his best season was also the only one where he logged any significant time at center. His performance in the faceoff dot will always be a concern – he’s won just 41.5% of draws in his career – but he led the club in scoring in 2022-23 with 71 points (28 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games while also lining up at center for the most games in his career.

Thus, he could be a logical replacement for Lindholm should the former Cane head to market (and, ironically, potentially replace Nečas back in Carolina). As things stand, the Nucks have $23.75MM in projected cap space next season with eight roster spots to fill. Nečas and Lindholm could both land deals in the $7MM range, although the latter is headed in the wrong direction as his production has consistently dwindled since his career year with the Flames in 2021-22. Lindholm likely repaired his value somewhat with his playoff performance, though, posting 10 points in 13 games for Vancouver while logging over 19 minutes per game.

Nečas also took a step back this season, seeing his production drop to 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games, but there’s arguably more upside/rebound potential with a player who’s four years younger. Vancouver would also be at less risk of seeing the deal become an albatross as it ages by handing out a long-term deal to the younger player.

Bruins, Hurricanes Discussed Linus Ullmark Trade Before Deadline

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Bruins were shopping 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark at the trade deadline, as evidenced by reports he blocked a deal to the Kings with his 16-team no-trade clause. The Hurricanes were another one of the teams in talks to pick up the netminder, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast.

It’s fair to wonder if Boston and Carolina may re-engage on the framework of talks this summer with Ullmark still on the trade block. He has one season left on his contract with an affordable $5MM cap hit, and his no-trade list drops from 16 to 15 teams on July 1.

The Hurricanes got elite goaltending from Frederik Andersen in the regular season with a .932 SV%, but he was limited to 16 games due to blood clotting issues. He proceeded to struggle in postseason play, putting up an. 895 SV% as the Canes were eliminated by the Rangers in the second round thanks to a third-period collapse in Game 6.

Carolina has 24-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov waiting in the wings, too, after posting a .911 SV% in a career-high 40 starts, but advanced numbers suggest he wasn’t particularly far above average considering the shot quality he faced behind one of the best defenses in the league. He was good for 0.7 goals saved above expected on the year, per MoneyPuck – not a liability, but inferior to Ullmark’s consistently above-average showings since joining the Bruins in 2021-22.

In terms of a trade return, there’s a clear fit heading back from Boston to Carolina in pending restricted free agent forward Martin Nečas. Friedman didn’t disclose if he was part of trade discussions a few months back, but he certainly would be now if the teams resumed talks. He reported last week that Nečas’ ask on a contract extension is likely too far above what the Canes are willing to pay, and they’ll likely shop his signing rights this summer as a result.

While the Bruins’ offense performed better than expected after losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí to retirement, they were limited to 2.38 goals per game in 13 playoff showings. There’s a clear opportunity to upgrade their top six with some increased spending money this summer, boasting $20.9MM in cap space to fill six roster spots, per CapFriendly. A large portion of that will go to a new deal for RFA netminder Jeremy Swayman, but trading Ullmark would open up an additional $5MM to use to help shoulder a Nečas extension. Evolving Hockey projects a seven-year, $7.5MM AAV deal for Nečas this summer outside of Carolina.

Hypothetical Landing Spots For Martin Necas

at CDT | by 24 Comments

With the excitement of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs and some notable events that have already taken place, one important news item buried over the last week is that the Carolina Hurricanes do not intend on signing forward Martin Necas to an extension this summer, and could look to move him in the offseason. Necas will become a restricted free agent on July 1st after his two-year, $6MM bridge deal expires.

Over the last four years, Necas has shown flashes of being a consistent scorer at the NHL level and other flashes of being a complimentary piece at best. Because of this, the General Manager Don Waddell and the Hurricanes organization do not seem adamant about meeting Necas’ demands, who likely has his eyes on a long-term deal. Since Necas is still only 25 years old, an eight-year contract extension would put him between 33 and 34 upon expiration, meaning this may be his only chance at signing a max contract.

Playing up and down Carolina’s lineup, Necas certainly looks more comfortable on the wing but has been known to line up down the middle on occasion. In 362 games spent with the Hurricanes, Necas has scored 97 goals and 243 points while also putting up 11 goals and 30 points over 59 postseason games, as well.

Not only has Necas shown an ability to put together strong seasons, but playing in Carolina’s system has allowed his possession numbers to flourish, posting a 63.6 and a 61.8 CorsiFor% in the last two years alone. In the right situation, Necas could prove to be a wise investment in the near and long term.

Since Necas lies somewhere between a top-line winger and a complimentary piece, and assuming the Hurricanes allow him to discuss an extension with the acquiring team, Necas would be wise to look for an already established team. The two that come to mind, in terms of need and style of play, would be the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers.

Even before the loss of winger Valeri Nichushkin for at least the next six months, the Avalanche have had a problem at the winger position since the loss of Gabriel Landeskog after the 2022 Stanley Cup run. With Landeskog once again expected to start the season on LTIR, and Nichushkin’s contract in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Colorado should have more than enough financial flexibility to sign Necas. With Zach Parise confirmed to have played his last game at the NHL level last week, and Jonathan Drouin potentially pricing himself out of Denver with a solid year, Necas could be a solid fit to move fluidly in the top two lines of the Avalanche forward core.

Moving back to the Eastern Conference; if any team was going to challenge the Hurricanes as the best defensive team in hockey, it would be the Panthers. Finishing behind Carolina in both CorsiFor% and penalty kill percentage, the Panthers were only one of two teams to suffer less than 200 goals during the 2023-24 regular season.

Unfortunately, Florida has a tough offseason coming up, with Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour set to hit unrestricted free agency with too few dollars to go around. Acquiring Necas, will not completely replace the production left by Reinhart, but it would certainly soften the blow. Picking up Necas from the Hurricanes would also allow the Panthers to prioritize signing Montour to have a mostly intact defensive unit heading into the 2024-25 NHL season.

As far as the price for Necas, outside of a possible extension, should not be as steep as many would think. Since it has already broken out into the open that Carolina has no intention of giving Necas what he is asking for, the acquiring team would only be responsible for acquiring his signing rights out of the gate.

In this case, the Avalanche may be in a better position to acquire Necas from Carolina, as the Hurricanes may entertain an offer for the 24th overall pick of this year’s upcoming draft. Florida, on the other hand, does not have ownership over their first-round pick this year, having already sent it to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Claude Giroux trade.

Afternoon Notes: Huhtanen, Lyle, Nečas

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning have made the signing of forward prospect Niko Huuhtanen official, following reports of the signing yesterday. The three-year, entry-level deal will kick off next year and carries $57.5K in performance bonuses and $92.5K in signing bonuses each season, in addition to its $867.5K cap hit. Huuhtanen is currently playing with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, appearing in two games of the Calder Cup Playoffs but still searching for his first AHL point.

Huuhtanen played through his second full season in Finland’s Liiga this season, recording 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games. Tampa drafted Huuhtanen in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, selecting him out of Finland’s U20 league after he posted 20 goals and 34 points in 37 games. He moved to America in the following season – appearing in 65 games and recording 77 points with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. But his juniors career was short-lived, and Huuhtanen returned back to Finland ahead of last season – posting 17 goals and 30 points in 48 games as a Liiga rookie.

Huuhtanen has scored at every level and served as a staple for Finland’s international teams for the last six seasons. He’s a hefty winger who sacrifices swift feet for strength. He doesn’t lack finesse, though, and knows how to use his strong frame to fight for space and become an option for teammates. From there, Huuhtanen’s shot is strong enough to make him dangerous anywhere in the offensive end. He’ll likely return to the AHL next season, though his strong performances against pro competition in the Liiga could help him rival the Lightning lineup soon.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Pending Calgary Flames free agent Brady Lyle has signed with HC Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. Lyle was previously a Group 6 free agent in the NHL, set to become an unrestricted-free agent if Calgary didn’t sign him by July 1st. He’ll now head to Russia, after posting 15 points in 47 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers this season. The scoring brought his career point totals up to 51 across 186 AHL games. With Lyle now headed to Russia, Calgary’s only remaining Group 6 free agent is centerman Benjamin Jones.
  • Carolina Hurricanes centerman Martin Nečas is joining Team Czechia for the remainder of the World Championship, reports Walt Ruff of NHL.com (Twitter link). Nečas’ NHL season ended with Carolina’s Game 6 defeat on Thursday. He contributed nine points in 11 playoff games – a boost in production after he managed just 53 points during the regular sesaon. This will be the first time that Nečas has played with Team Czechia since the 2019 World Juniors, when he posted four points in five games. He made his World Championship debut in 2018, with five points in seven games.

Hurricanes Not Expected To Re-Sign Brett Pesce, Martin Necas

at CDT | by 22 Comments

The Hurricanes will be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason by any measure. After getting bounced in the second round by the Rangers, not only is the future of head coach Rod Brind’Amour in question, but they have multiple pending unrestricted free agents that would be among the top 20 names on the market should they not be re-signed before July 1.

One of them is blue-liner Brett Pesce, whose season ended in Game 2 of the first round against the Islanders after sustaining a lower-body injury. The top-four staple in Raleigh for nearly a decade could very well have played his last game for the Canes, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Friday’s edition of “32 Thoughts”:

“Pesce didn’t seem likely. They kinda told him what they were willing to do last year,” Friedman said. “I think it was in the (five years, $5MM AAV) range. It didn’t work. I don’t know that it’s changed.”

Early into the extension-eligible period for their 2024 UFAs, reports indicated the Hurricanes weren’t close to extensions with any of them aside from franchise center Sebastian Aho, who inked the richest contract in franchise history last July. That included Pesce, who most expected Carolina to trade before the season to avoid letting him walk for nothing. He was even allowed to discuss extensions with other teams last summer, but Friedman confirmed during training camp that he’d been taken off the trade block by general manager Don Waddell.

It wasn’t the wisest decision for Pesce, who’s coming off arguably his worst campaign since his rookie season. His 0.19 points per game were a career-low, his 20:17 average per game was the lowest since 2015-16, and his possession metrics checked in right around the team average in both shot attempts and expected goals.

After a lengthy run of being one of the better two-way defenders in the league, though, he’s still likely in line to earn a slightly richer deal than what Carolina is offering him. Evolving Hockey projects him to land a six-year deal on the open market with a roughly $5.5MM cap hit.

Friedman also believes that forward Martin Nečas, now a restricted free agent after completing a two-year, $6MM bridge deal, could have his signing rights traded this summer, saying he doesn’t think Carolina will do “what Nečas wants to do.” The Hurricanes are expected to prioritize re-signing trade deadline pickup Jake Guentzel, the best left wing available on the pending UFA market. He also notes that Seth Jarvis, an RFA like Necas, has surpassed him on the depth chart internally and is more of a financial priority long-term.

Nečas is eligible for salary arbitration this summer, so they may need to execute a sign-and-trade or allow him to negotiate with other clubs. Opening the possibility for Nečas to force an acquiring team to arbitration could lower his trade value.

The 2017 12th-overall pick took a considerable step back this season, posting 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games after recording a career-high 71 in 82 last season. The Czech winger hasn’t historically been a positive possession force on a deep Hurricanes forward group, either, although he was good in playoff action this year with four goals and five assists in 11 games.

Any team acquiring Nečas would only be able to sign him to a seven-year deal if they wanted to go for the maximum term since he was on Carolina’s reserve list at the trade deadline, although it could be an eight-year deal via a sign-and-trade. Evolving Hockey projects that as the most likely outcome with a $7.5MM cap hit.

Hurricanes Notes: Necas, Rees, Webber

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the Hurricanes might not be shopping forward Martin Necas, it doesn’t appear as if they’re hanging up the phone either when teams call about him.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the team has made it known that they’re willing to listen on the 25-year-old.  Necas had a breakout year last season with 71 points in 82 games and has followed that up with 42 points in 53 games so far this season.

While that’s not the type of player that they should even be listening to offers on while they’re sitting comfortably in a playoff spot, it’s worth noting that Necas will be a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration eligibility.  He’ll be owed a $3.5MM qualifying offer and could push for close to double that much; if they’ve determined they can’t afford him for next season, then they could decide that moving him now would yield the most value.  Of course, if they did so, they’d also have a big hole to fill in their top six.

More from Carolina:

  • The Hurricanes have re-assigned forward Jamieson Rees from AHL Springfield to Charlotte, per a team release from the Checkers. Carolina doesn’t have its own affiliate this season and Rees had been quite limited with Springfield where he had just three assists in 30 games after putting up 42 points in 65 games last season.  The 23-year-old is in the final season of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent without arbitration rights this summer.
  • Prospect defenseman Cade Webber is in the final season of his college career and has to sign with Carolina by August 15th or become an unrestricted free agent. According to Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link), the 23-year-old is leaning toward the latter option of the two.  The 6’7 Webber was a fourth-round pick by the Hurricanes back in 2019 (99th overall) and while his offensive game is quite limited) he has just one goal in his four seasons with Boston University, he’s leading Division I in blocks with 107 and is a true stay-at-home shutdown type of defender.

Injury Updates: Skinner, Nečas, Capitals

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Although the Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL and one that seems likelier and likelier to extend through 2023-24, their lack of team progress has not stopped individual Sabres from taking major steps forward in their career. $9MM AAV forward Jeff Skinner is coming off of a career year in which he scored 82 points, and currently has 33 points in 38 games. He’s among Buffalo’s most reliable offensive generators, which makes it all the more distressing that he’s suffered an upper-body injury, according to The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn.

Fairburn reports that “the Sabres are waiting for the results” of the imaging Skinner underwent this morning in order to determine a timetable for his recovery. Any significant Skinner absence could be a potential killing blow to the Sabres’ long-shot playoff hopes. He’s skated on the team’s first line alongside Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson, and although three-time 20-goal scorer Victor Olofsson would see more regular time in the lineup in Skinner’s absence, the Sabres don’t have any players who appear capable of replicating Skinner’s playmaking abilities.

Other injury notes from across the NHL:

  • Carolina Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff has provided updates from head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who says that forward Martin Nečas’ upper-body injury “isn’t too serious,” though it may keep him out of the lineup tomorrow. Necas last played in Carolina’s December 2nd win against the New York Rangers, before getting injured. After scoring 28 goals and 71 points last season Necas is scoring at a 20-goal, 56-point pace this season.
  • The Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson reports that both Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson were on the ice ahead of team practice this morning. Wilson was wearing a “fishbowl” helmet to protect his broken nose. Both players skated in the team’s most recent game Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings, but there was some fear that neither would be available tomorrow against Seattle due to injury. They’re still not confirmed to be ready to play, but today’s reporting does point in a positive direction in that regard.

East Notes: Dahlin, Necas, Keane

at CDT | by 1 Comment

There has been recent speculation that the Sabres and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin are nearing an agreement on a contract extension.  On the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that there is a bit of work still to be done but that all sides involved think that there is a deal to be done with a belief that it could be done by the opening of training camp.  The 23-year-old is coming off a breakout year that saw him record 15 goals and 58 assists in 78 games while averaging just shy of 26 minutes a night.  He has one year left on his current deal at a $6MM cap hit and coming off the year he just had, it seems likely that Dahlin could approach the $10MM mark (if not a bit more) to lock in a max-term eight-year extension now.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Hurricanes forward Martin Necas is entering the final year of his contract this season and thus is eligible to sign a contract extension. However, he recently told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that there have been no discussions yet about a possible new deal.  The 24-year-old took a significant step forward last season, posting career highs across the board with 28 goals, 43 assists, 71 points, 240 shots, and an ATOI of 18:25 per night.  Signed for a $3MM AAV this season, Necas’ next deal could very well double that amount or more if he’s able to have a similar offensive showing in 2023-24.
  • Still with Carolina, prospect defenseman Joey Keane has signed a one-year deal with Spartak of the KHL, per a team announcement. The 24-year-old had a good first season in Russia, picking up 24 points in 64 games last year.  Keane has a pair of NHL games under his belt with the Hurricanes who retain his RFA rights through the 2026-27 campaign.  If he takes a step forward this year, he could play his way back into the mix for a spot in North America.

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hurricanes, Rogers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche remains in the mix for the vacant Penguins GM position.  Darche received consideration for the opening in Montreal last season that later went to Kent Hughes.  He has been with Tampa Bay for the last four seasons but this is only his first one with the AGM title.  Friedman adds that former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas is their desired candidate and they’re prepared to wait a little bit to give him some time to decide if he wants the job but if he doesn’t, it could be Darche getting his first opportunity at running a team.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer examines a trio of Hurricanes forwards that he thinks could be on the move this summer. Teuvo Teravainen has one year left on his contract at a $5.4MM AAV but will be seeking more for 2024-25.  If Carolina doesn’t think they can extend him or they don’t want to pay his asking price, it’s possible he could move.  DeCock also wonders if the team might opt to sell high on RFA center Martin Necas who’s coming off a career year or Jack Drury who has done well in the minors but hasn’t put it together yet in the NHL; at 23, he’s still young enough that a rebuilding team might have some interest.
  • The Capitals have invited forward Jack Rogers to their development camp this summer, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old played his freshman year at St. Cloud State this season, picking up three goals and five assists in 34 games.  Rogers is a year removed from a 30-goal campaign with Steinbach of the MJHL.  Washington almost certainly won’t be signing Rogers but they’ll get some information on him should they decide to pursue him later in his college career.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top