It feels like a long time ago that the Colorado Avalanche were on top of the hockey world. The Avs’ 2021-22 Stanley Cup Championship was the ultimate triumph for their core group desperate to get over the hump. Once they finally reached the pinnacle, it felt like just the start of a dominant run. But we’re now three years removed from that moment, and they really haven’t come close to reaching the same level.
It’s extremely difficult to form a dynasty or anything of that semblance with the salary cap restrictions and parity of today’s NHL. Of course, we’ve most recently seen teams like the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015) and Pittsburgh Penguins (2009, 2016, 2017) rattle off three Cups in a tight window with their superstars at the helm. Not to mention the LA Kings (2012, 2014), Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021), and perhaps the Florida Panthers (2024, 2025?), who have also had excellent runs of their own.
But even these teams went through their ups and downs; that’s just the way things go in professional sports, particularly hockey. That being said, there’s no reason to believe that this Colorado core isn’t capable of putting themselves in the same company.
Nathan MacKinnon (turning 30 in September) and Cale Makar (turning 27 in October) won’t be slowing down anytime soon, so the Avalanche will have plenty more kicks at the can to hoist Lord Stanley in the years to come. However, the last three seasons have seen the best of MacKinnon and Makar result in two first-round exits and a second-round defeat. So their prime years can’t be taken for granted, because time flies by and windows can close much quicker than we expect.
Embed from Getty ImagesThese two deserve another moment like this.
As is the case for most Stanley Cup-winning teams, the Avs have lost a lot of key pieces to the puzzle from their championship squad. Nazem Kadri, J.T. Compher, Darcy Kuemper, and Andre Burakovsky all walked for nothing as UFAs. These kinds of departures are the toughest to recover from. General manager Chris MacFarland has done his best to fill those holes, but what was done this season has really changed everything in Colorado.
The Avalanche took shaking up their roster to the next level in 2024-25. Two new goaltenders, five forwards, and two defensemen were all acquired via trade in a few-month span. It’s too early to judge many of these moves, but one deal stands out above the rest and will be crucified forever. We all know which one I’m talking about: Trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a package centered around Martin Necas.
I didn’t like the Avalanche getting rid of Rantanen when it happened, and that certainly hasn’t changed in the aftermath, but that’s a story for another day. I want to focus on Marty Necas and what the future holds for the 26-year-old who is rumored to be unhappy in Colorado.
Necas is coming off a career year, having racked up 83 points (27 goals, 56 assists) across 79 games with the Canes and Avs. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to carry that momentum into the postseason, finishing with five points (one goal, four assists) in their seven-game series loss to Dallas.
The sample size was small, but it generally felt like the Necas experiment in Colorado was off to a good start. However, reports from Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos are suggesting that it wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops.
He got to play in an increased role alongside two of the best players in the world. What is there to be not overly thrilled about? Some have questioned the legitimacy of the report, but Kypreos is pretty connected around the league, so it’s definitely caught the attention of hockey fans. NHL insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff also just added Necas to his latest offseason trade targets board, adding even more fuel to the fire.
Necas is heading into the final season of the two-year, $13 million bridge deal he signed with the Hurricanes in 2024. His $6.5 million cap hit for next season is no issue at all for the Avalanche, but a potential extension could be. Necas will undoubtedly be seeking a pay raise, and likely a substantial one. While I like a lot of what the skilled winger brings to the table as a player, I have my concerns about handing over a big-ticket, long-term contract.
So, let’s look further into this big decision that will soon be on the plate of the Colorado Avalanche and check out their options should they choose to make another huge roster shakeup.
Martin Necas player breakdown
There is no questioning the talent of Martin Necas. He’s one of the fastest skaters in the world and possesses the hands and vision to go with that speed. There’s a reason why he was drafted 12th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2017.
His strengths are a tremendous starting point for a top-six point-producing forward, but he’s far from a perfect player. First off, Necas is not much of a goal scorer. Yes, he can score, but not even close to the rate of a Mikko Rantanen… Necas’ career high in goals (28 in 2022-23) wouldn’t even match Rantanen’s lowest goal total over the last five years (30 in 52 games in 2021-22).
Alright, let’s move on from the Rantanen comparison, because it really isn’t one. Necas is also no defensive stalwart and provides very little in terms of physicality, which shows in the playoffs. His postseason production has not been pretty either, struggling to the tune of 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 66 career playoff games.
Mikko Rantanen was the clear-cut number three option in Colorado and closer to being at the MacKinnon-Makar level than what came below them. With how the Avalanche are currently constructed, Necas has taken the spot as the third most relied-upon offensive player, and I think that’s asking too much of him.
Many will say, Well, he’s still young and will continue growing into an even bigger star. I don’t doubt that he can still improve his game, but he turns 27 in January. Is there really that much more of a jump coming? Would you be surprised if 83 points were his ceiling? I wouldn’t. In my opinion, Marty Necas is a 60-70 point player who had a career season, which is what he’s shown to be in the NHL. And let me say, I’m not knocking him for that; the vast majority of the league would kill for those numbers.
But that is where the problem lies. This makes upcoming contract negotiations very tricky. Necas is deserving of a salary increase from his current $6.5 AAV, and I would feel comfortable paying him in the $7-$8 million range on his next deal. However, anything more than that is where things get dicey, and I have to imagine that’s exactly what he’ll be seeking. This was already something the Avalanche had to juggle, and now we have to factor in the report that he wasn’t thrilled about his experience as an Av. It all could result in a much shorter stint in Colorado than originally anticipated for Martin Necas.
Options moving forward
So, where do the Colorado Avalanche go if they were to trade Martin Necas? I think there are several avenues they could look to explore via the trade market. There would be ample interest should Chris MacFarland let it be known that Necas is available. The Czech winger has no clauses in his contract, which means he can be shipped anywhere the Avalanche may choose. Though it should be noted that an acquiring team would certainly want some level of confirmation that he’d consider extending with them.
When it comes to a return, the Avs could seek a package that brings back another high-end player in more of a hockey trade. On the flip side, they could focus on recouping some draft picks and prospects, which they very much lack.
Let’s start with potential player-for-player trades. From an Avalanche standpoint, I would ideally target a goal-scoring, left-shot forward, which is easier said than done. I think Colorado needs a one-time threat opposite Nathan MacKinnon, who’s on his off wing on PP1, and next to Cale Makar, who is up at the point… which they so perfectly had with Mikko Rantanen. Necas, being a right-shot, sometimes finds himself clogged up on the same side as MacKinnon, while Jonathan Drouin, a pass-first forward, was in Rantanen’s office. They won’t find another Mikko Rantanen to man that spot, but here are some trade targets that are worth a shot.
And before we get into that, it should be mentioned that Colorado is actually very left-shot heavy at forward, even with Necas. But guys like Landeskog, Lehkonen, and Nichushkin have more net-front/bumper skill sets; a shooter on the half-wall is needed. The Avs can find other right-shot options when filling out the depths of their lineup if they want to even things out a bit.
Ok, now we’ll start off with the LA Kings, a team looking to get over a hump of their own who are also left-shot heavy up front. They would certainly have interest in Martin Necas. Could Kevin Fiala be sent back the other way? Fiala is an uber-talented winger with three 29+ goal seasons under his belt. The 28-year-old has four years remaining at a $7.875 million AAV. I personally would much prefer spending that on Kevin Fiala instead of $8+ million on Necas.
Or there is another left-shot sniper and three-time 35+ goal scorer in Adrian Kempe, who is heading into the final season of a four-year, $5.5 million AAV deal. He might be harder to pry out of LA, but his uncertain contract situation beyond 2025-26 is something the Avalanche could look to take advantage of.
How would this release look next to Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar?
Or this one…
One of Fiala or Kempe would be a dream option for the Avs, but if neither came to fruition, there is no shortage of alternatives they can turn to.
What about a physical, sharp-shooting winger in Timo Meier, who hasn’t fit as well as originally hoped in New Jersey? The 28-year-old is a three-time 30-goal scorer himself and potted 28 and 26, respectively, over his last two ‘down years.’
The Vancouver Canucks have long been enamored with Marty Necas. Could Colorado take a flier on a struggling Elias Pettersson, who’s shown to have 100+ point potential? The acquisition cost won’t get any lower than it is right now.
Bo Horvat and Travis Konecny showed tremendous chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon at the World Championships; why not kick tires on their availabilities? The Islanders and Flyers are both in rebuild/retool phases as franchises, so I’m quite certain they would at least listen.
Trevor Zegras, Jared McCann, JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch, Drake Batherson, and maybe even Alexis Lafreniere are some last-resort options that have also surfaced in recent trade rumors.
If none of these are plausible, then shipping Necas out for picks and prospects becomes the solution. Not only will they restock on assets, but it also frees up cap space that could be spent in free agency this summer or next. Nikolaj Ehlers, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand headline some 2025 UFA targets, while 2026 is loaded with the likes of Kirill Kaprizov, Kyle Connor, Adrian Kempe, and Alex Tuch.
The odds are that Martin Necas will be a member of the Colorado Avalanche to start the 2025-26 campaign. But you have to hope that the front office learned its lesson to handle whatever business is necessary with their key pending UFA the offseason prior. They can’t afford running into another Mikko Rantanen situation mid-season while their sights are set on competing for the Stanley Cup.
The Sports Outsider 
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