Martin Necas: the Hurricanes won’t offer him the contract he wants, according to Friedman

In short, there’s clearly something not working with this group, so we can expect big changes starting this summer.

Big decisions will have to be made by the Hurricanes’ staff, starting with who they want to give a new contract to.

When we look at the Canes’ CapFriendly roster, the first thing we notice is that the Canes have a total of eight players who will be uncompensated free agents (UFAs) next July 1ᵉʳ if they don’t sign a Carolina contract by then.

We can add to this list six players who will be compensated free agents (RFA).

Among these players is Martin Necas, who has been a household name for some time now.

With $27 million available under the salary cap, the Canes will have to make choices, as they clearly won’t be able to re-sign all 14 players at fair value.

In fact, according to renowned tipster Elliotte Friedman, the Hurricanes won’t offer Necas the contract he wants, so he could very well leave Carolina.

Indeed, Friedman explained in the most recent episode of his 32 Thoughts podcast that in his opinion, and based on what he’s heard, it won’t work out between Necas and the Hurricanes.

Necas, 25, will surely want to sign a long-term contract with a fairly hefty salary in the $6-7M per year range, and that’s something the Hurricanes won’t/can’t give him.

Why won’t they?

Because, once again, according to Friedman, the Hurricanes will prioritize Jake Guentzel.

Carolina will try to reach a long-term agreement with the star forward acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins around the trade deadline.

If a deal is signed (Guentzel could get in the $9M per year range), chances are the Hurricanes won’t sign Necas to the contract he wants.

However, it’s clear that the Canes won’t let Necas go for free.

Since he’s a free agent WITH restrictions and arbitration rights, the Canes will qualify him, and will surely try to trade him.

Arbitration could still save the day, but the chances are higher that Necas will receive a hostile offer and change his address, or simply be traded.

This will be a very interesting case to watch this summer, as Necas is likely to be a highly coveted player.

It’s not every day that a 25-year-old who has already scored 71 points in one NHL season becomes available.

In fact, Necas’ name has often been linked to the Montreal Canadiens.

Kent Hughes and his team will clearly be on the case and could certainly try to acquire the young Czech player.

He would be an excellent addition to the team and would fit in well with the Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook transactions.

Obviously, Necas is better than Dach and Newhook before the deal.

In short, we’ll have to keep an eye on this one, as we could very well see Necas change address and, who knows, perhaps move to Montreal.

En Rafale

– Speaking of Necas, he’s currently joining the Czech Republic at the World Championship.

– Interesting. A youngster receives outstanding player status in the BCHL for the first time in league history.

– Read more.

– Ducks sign Rodwin Dion.