The Avalanche appear to have made a decision on Martin Necas, as it appears the team may look to trade him if they can't come to a contract agreement.
What a difference a year makes for the Colorado Avalanche. Last summer, GM Chris MacFarland was hamstrung, operating in tremendous uncertainty about Gabe Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin.
Landeskog hadn't suited up in nearly two years, and Nichushkin was sitting on the sidelines with no defined timeline for his return.
The duo accounted for more than $13 million in cap space combined, and there wasn't much room to maneuver for the Avalanche.
Flash forward to the present: Landeskog and Nichushkin are healthy and will suit up for the 2025-26 season. The Avs now have only $1.2 million in cap space available, but the vibe surrounding the club has all changed.
With a talent-heavy group of forwards already on board, Colorado is once again mentioned as a team to pay attention to. One name that continues to come up? Martin Necas.
Necas, acquired last winter as part of the blockbuster Mikko Rantanen trade, is on the last year of his deal. He'll be a UFA in a year.
Avalanche have likely set an internal deadline date to sign Necas
Frank Seravalli writes that the Avalanche have made a decision: sign him right away, or trade him.
"Avalanche have to come to a decision on Martin Necas; are we re-signing this guy and if not can we really afford to go into this season with another pending UFA."
They can't put themselves in the same boat they did with Rantanen a year ago, negotiating the whole year only to lose a franchise player.
Necas does have value to the team. He's not getting attention, but within the organization, there is talk that he will be traded if contract talks do not go well.
If the Avs can't sign him to a number they feel is acceptable, don't be surprised if they trade him before the season is underway. Colorado simply can't start another season with that amount of uncertainty hanging over its core.
This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.
