Pierre LeBrun Reveals the 3 Teams That Heavily Pursued Martin Necas in a Trade Last Summer
Photo credit: Amy Irvin / Hockey Writers
The insider Pierre LeBrun revealed the three teams that heavily pursued Martin Necas on the trade market last summer.
Martin Necas is by far having the best season of his career right now.
With 11 goals and 19 assists in 30 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, he shows that General Manager Eric Tulsky made the right move by offering him a two-year contract valued at $6.5 million AAV.
Teams across the NHL knew that Necas had a bright future ahead of him, which explained all the interest he generated in most of the League's organizations in the summer.
Following a 53-point season in 2023-24, Necas became a free agent. Even before his team was eliminated from the second round of the playoffs in six games by the New York Rangers, experts agreed that most of the teams would make an offer to Necas if the opportunity came along.
Here's what he said:
"My understanding is that 28 NHL teams reached out to Carolina on Necas, with varying degrees of interest."
He added that three teams were serious contenders to get him: the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
About the Jets, LeBrun revealed that the deal couldn't happen because Necas wouldn't sign a short-term deal:
"The Jets were a serious bidder, to be sure. I'm told Necas would have been fine signing short-term in Winnipeg but not long-term, and that was a trade killer."
He also stated that the Columbus Blue Jackets were working on a deal involving the 4th overall pick, but it didn't work out:
"The Blue Jackets and Canes talked trade at the draft in Vegas - not surprising given that former Hurricanes GM Don Waddell is now running things in Columbus and knows the player well - but that deal, which revolved around the No. 4 pick, also fizzled."
With Necas leading his team in points, and the team leading the Metropolitan Division with a 14-4 record, it's safe to say that the Canes made the right choice by keeping him.
However, with his contract set to end after the next season, trade rumors are expected to continue.
Latest 10 stories
