Carolina Hurricanes, winger Martin Necas avoid arbitration, agree on new contract

Martin Necas and the Carolina Hurricanes have settled their contract matters, preventing an arbitration hearing.

The forward, a former first-round draft pick with elite speed and flashy skills, agreed Monday to a two-year extension that will pay him an average of $6.5 million per season.

A restricted free agent, Necas filed for salary arbitration on July 5, and there has been much talk in NHL circles about Necas possibly being traded. But with a contract signed, no arbitration hearing will be needed as Necas prepares for his sixth full season with Carolina.

Necas, 25, finished with 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games this past season, with a minus-9 plus/minus ranking. He was finishing up a two-year, $6 million contract.

“Martin is an immensely skilled player who provides a scoring threat whenever the puck is on his stick,” general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “He will play a key role in the continued success of our franchise, and we’re excited to have a multi-year contract done.”

Necas was the Canes’ leading point-producer with 71 in the 2022-23 season, when he scored a career-high 28 goals. But his production dipped this season and there was speculation approaching the NHL trade deadline that he might be sent to another team. That speculation quickly heated up again after the season leading into the 2024 NHL draft.

Necas left Raleigh immediately after the Canes lost to the New York Rangers in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Czechia native joined the national team in Prague for the IIHF World Championship and helped his home country win the gold medal.

Necas was the 12th overall pick by Carolina in the 2017 NHL Draft, a year before the Canes made Andrei Svechnikov of Russia the No. 2 selection of the ‘18 draft. It was expected the two young forwards, who could combine Necas’ speed with Svechnikov’s power, would emerge as two of the cornerstones of the franchise moving forward.

The Hurricanes, with Rod Brind’Amour as head coach, have reached the Stanley cup playoffs six consecutive seasons since 2018 and have won at least one playoff series in each year. Necas had four goals and five assists in Carolina’s 11 playoff games this season — in 59 career playoff games, he has 11 goals and 19 assists, with two game-winning goals.

Necas could be at his best in overtime during the regular-season and was hard to corral in three-on-three situations with a lot of open ice to maneuver. He had four overtime winners in 2022-23 and has nine in the past four seasons, tying Connor McDavid of Edmonton and Alex DeBrincat of the Detroit Red Wings for the NHL lead.

But Necas appeared to chafe at times. He spent the 2018-19 season with the Charlotte Checkers, then the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, winning a Calder Cup but at the same time wanting to be playing in the NHL.

Once in the NHL, Necas often was a threat when he had the puck and some room to shoot, leading the Canes forwards in creating offensive chances. But he too rarely attacked the middle of the ice and too often settled for perimeter play.

It was Necas’ defense that came up lacking too often. The Canes under Brind’Amour have employed a man-to-man defensive system, and while Brind’Amour does not cite or criticize players individually, Necas’ play in the defensive zone could be inconsistent.

After the 2021-22 season, which Necas called a personal step back for him, he said: “Me and Roddy, we’ve got to trust each other a little more. I’ve got to show him I can play in those minutes when it really matters, and that’s what I would like to play.”

To which Brind’Amour replied: “It’s good he got the message.”