Life goes on for the Colorado Avalanche in the aftermath of trading superstar Mikko Rantanen. The organization and its fans were understandably deflated after the news broke that one of the team's most beloved forwards was departing for the Carolina Hurricanes.
What might have been overlooked was the return for the Avalanche in this trade, headlined by forward Martin Necas. Is he the same caliber of superstar that Rantanen is? Unfortunately, he is not. But is he an excellent forward who is having the most productive offensive season of his seven full seasons in the league. He's giving the Avs a new superstar and restoring their postseason optimism after it took a huge hit.
Through 53 games, Necas has 17 goals and 43 assists for 60 points. Through the first two months of the campaign, he was even playing his way into the MVP conversation.
Since arriving in Colorado, Necas has quickly settled in. After pushing through his first game filled with jitters, he's gone from replacement for Rantanen to proving he's his own level of elite.
In his second and third games with the team, Necas scored four points. They were all assists, but he was looking comfortable, confident, and the strongest part of his game was shining through.
Then, the Avalanche beat the brakes off the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-0. Necas was one of the most impressive players on either teams in the game, and his highlight reel goal was a coming out party for Necas in a Colorado uniform.
The play began with the puck trickling back into the Colorado defensive zone, forcing the entire unit to swing back and attempt another zone entry. Necas swung deep back near his own blue line and collected the puck. He carried through the neutral zone, gained the offensive zone with ease while backing off the St. Louis defensemen, and then fired a nasty wrist shot over the shoulder of goalie Joel Hofer.
The goal was his first with his new club, but it was much bigger than that. It displayed the high-level of skill, playmaking, and shooting ability Necas possesses. That's important for this Avs team, as they are searching for confidence and optimism in this new chapter. Necas is quickly showing that he can be a player that Colorado can rely on and include in the core they can build around moving forward.
