The 2024 offseason festivities are about to get underway as the draft finally nears. The pool of available players has been relatively weak, but there’s been an interesting name that may be dangled, and that’s 25-year-old Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas.
A few weeks ago, we looked at Martin Necas during the early days of the summer when the details surrounding his availability were minimal. Since then more rumors have emerged as to what exactly both he and the Canes are looking for when it comes to a potential trade and new contract for the pending restricted free agent. So let’s take a look as to whether or not Martin Necas makes sense for the Flyers.
Pros
A new face
It would be awesome if the Flyers actually overhauled their roster, but accepting even just one new top six face would go a long way for the stale forward group. If their goal is just to float along over the next couple years as they wait for some of their high-end prospects to show up, a player like Necas, someone that could possess a higher-than-expected ceiling but may just be another dude among a large field of other dudes is a fine consolation prize for the time being.
A fresh start
The Hurricanes are a rather deep team, and it has limited what Necas can bring to the table. His career year in 2022-23 with 28 goals and 71 points was stalled in 2023-24 when he was bumped down the lineup in favor of playing some of their younger, higher ceiling players in the top six. If he comes to Philly, especially if he can line up at center, there’s nothing that’s stopping him from earning and succeeding in a top line role if he actually possesses that ability as a player.
He can play center
Really, the most enticing part of Necas is the fact that can play center. The current group of centers on the Flyers’ roster (Couturier, Frost, Poehling, Laughton) may be among the least intimidating foursome in the league today. Even adding someone like Necas, who could possibly fall in the “good but not great” category, would be a pretty massive upgrade for a team that desperately needs it.
Cons
He can play center… right?
At one point, Necas was playing center for the Hurricanes but was pushed out of that role and down the depth chart by youngsters Jack Drury and Seth Jarvis. If the Flyers have interest in him as a potential solution down the middle and he just doesn’t cut it and he just reverts to a random winger on a team already overflowing with them, it’s a rather large investment that’ll blow back in their face.
A new contract
The reason why Necas is on the trade block in the first place is the fact that he’s a RFA this summer and he could be looking for a rather large extension. Rumors suggest he could be in the market for a 6-8 year deal at a $7-$8 million AAV. It’s a large commitment for a 40-50 point middle six dude, especially considering they’d have to trade for his rights first before emptying their back account on a new contract. Quite the double whammy.
The whole trade thing
Necas is an RFA, meaning the Flyers would have to acquire his rights from the Hurricanes via trade if they wanted to sign him themselves. The Flyers haven’t made a notable addition via trade since Christ was a cowboy, so assuming this is either the year or the player they break a decade-long inactive streak on is quite the assumption. It sure sounds like there will be quite a few teams interested in his services if he hits the trade block, and despite the Flyers having a nearly endless asset pool to make a deal, the front office may deem it not the right time to make a trade yet, especially if a bidding war ensues.
Conclusion
There’s a certain part of all the Necas rumors that feels very on-brand for the Flyers. Paying a premium in a trade then handing out a gargantuan contract for a player that may not be much better than anybody in the current crop of 50-point players they’ve got and may not even fix their biggest hole at center is a very believable outcome for a cursed franchise.
There’s a good chance there’s a lot of posturing from the Hurricanes as they potentially look to deal one of their more valuable trade assets; and from Necas, who is looking to cash in on a new contract with the salary cap rising.
We originally assumed A Necas-to-Philly trade would revolve around someone like Joel Farabee, either straight up or some roundabout way of getting rid of one and adding the other. Essentially swapping two similar players, but Carolina gets someone under contract and the Flyers can deal with the negotiations for Necas with a new option at center. It’s a straight forward “hockey trade” if ever there was.
But Necas looking for a contract that exceeds that of Farabee’s already massive $5 million cap hit for four more years should give the Flyers some pause. Handing out even more cash to someone that quite frankly hasn’t proven that he can stand above the crowd isn’t the kind of investment the Flyers need to be making right now. They have a big enough challenge in front of them trying to cut some of that dead weight from their own roster, voluntarily bringing in another one just complicates the brewing situation.
A potential 7x$7 contract for a 1C is fine. A 7x$7 contract for a middle six winger is not. In Necas’ case, it’s just too large a gap of uncertainty.
Having a player the can be flexible positionally is nice, but the Flyers need a bonafide top six center and Necas may just not be that guy. They need someone who can line up down the middle every night and be effective in the role. Necas as a secondary option isn’t the worst thing in the world, but counting on this guy to be their bonafide 1C just isn’t the right move at this juncture for the team.
So do they make a trade for Necas? It sure seems like a possibility, but something that still feels unlikely. The latest rumors indicate that the Canes are going to try their hardest to retain Necas, a stance that could be happening after they changed GMs. And even if Carolina does ultimately come to the conclusion that a trade is imminent, it sure sounds like an investment that is well above what the Flyers are willing to spend. There’s probably cheaper, better options to take risks on at center, and if the organization isn’t looking to take major strides forward from an on-ice perspective next season, Necas probably shouldn’t be on their radar.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
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