Martin Necas has yet to play a full season as a member of the Colorado Avalanche; however, his future with the team is already in question.
The main piece in the return package of the Mikko Rantanen trade is heading into the final season of his two-year, $13 million contract signed with the Hurricanes in 2024. He’s been eligible to sign an extension with the Avalanche since July 1, but nothing is close, as Necas appears willing to play things out in a contract year.
With how Colorado handled the Rantanen situation, will they be willing to risk losing Necas for nothing as a free agent? That’s something that management is certainly trying to figure out as we speak. If they decide it’s best to move the 26-year-old, perhaps a one-for-one trade with the New Jersey Devils could work for both sides.
Avalanche receive: Timo Meier
Devils receive: Martin Necas
The deal would see the Avs and Devils swap high-end wingers, sending Martin Necas to New Jersey, where he would presumably sign an extension, while Timo Meier heads the other way to Colorado. Meier is locked up for six more seasons on an eight-year, $70.4 million contract that was signed back in 2023.
Colorado remains in win-now mode
If the Colorado Avalanche are going to trade Martin Necas, they will undoubtedly want a return that helps them continue to compete for a Stanley Cup; picks and prospects are not what general manager Chris MacFarland is looking for.
Timo Meier is a three-time 30-goal scorer in the prime of his career who would be a very interesting fit. He provides a power forward skill set with a heavy shot and physical style of play that is built for playoff hockey and much different from that of Necas. Meier can play anywhere in the top six and slot in on the top power-play unit on his one-time side across from Nathan MacKinnon.
Cap space is tight in Colorado, but shifting an injured Logan O’Connor to LTIR would make this work financially.
New Jersey tweaks their core
The Timo Meier experiment in New Jersey has not gone as well as the Devils would have hoped. That’s not to say it’s been a failure, but the fit has admittedly been a bit clunky.
Martin Necas plays a speed and skill game that might mesh well with the likes of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier. He’s also a right-handed shot, which gives the Devils some balance in their top six that is currently quite left-shot heavy.
We wait to see what a contract extension is going to look like for Luke Hughes, but general manager Tom Fitzgerald shouldn’t have any issue fitting a long-term deal for Necas into their plans.
