This will be one of the most intriguing offseasons for the Boston Bruins. This is a team that drew the seventh overall pick, and they’ve now undergone the retool that many anticipated would eventually happen. The front office named Marco Sturm the head coach, and now the focus shifts to building the roster and injecting it with much-needed talent. The latest talent that could be available is Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas.
Necas Unhappy in Colorado
Based on the reports by Nick Kypreos , Necas was not thrilled with his time with the Avalanche. Moving Mikko Rantanen was not the wisest of decisions, but landing a high-caliber player in Necas was a wise decision. Necas brings an element of speed and skill that translates well with how the Avalanche play. Not to mention, he gets to play with one of the best players in the world in Nathan MacKinnon.
Given the status of his contract and him being an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season, the Avalanche could look to move him if contract negotiations don’t go as intended. If that ends up being the case, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney should pick up the phone and check in on the young forward. Not to mention, this wouldn’t be the first time his name has circled around the Bruins.
Time to Circle Back Around Necas
It was just last summer when the Bruins were linked to Necas (who was with the Hurricanes). The writing always seemed to be on the wall that Necas was going to get moved by the Hurricanes, and eventually he did. The Bruins were in the mix, but this time around, it’ll be under different circumstances.
Necas is due $6.5 million and is going into a contract year, which is always risky when acquiring a player. Why pay assets when you can simply sign the player after the current deal expires? The fact of the matter is, the Bruins need talent, and there is a vacant spot on the wing for him to occupy.
Necas does play center, which is great, but he has primarily been slotted in as a winger and has excelled. With the Bruins being a heavier and slower team, injecting the team with this type of speed and skill is hard to pass up. Not to mention, the production side of things.
Over the course of his career, he has been a 40-50 point player. He set a career high with 28 goals during the 2022-23 season, which was his big breakout with the Hurricanes. Also, he set a career high in points this season (83), split between the Hurricanes and Avalanche.
He is a player that can log top-line minutes and excel in top offensive situations. Necas can improve the power play, improve scoring, and, most importantly, inject the lineup with lethal talent.
Price Tag to Bring Necas In
The Avalanche parted with a legitimate top-caliber player to bring Necas into the fold. If they were to send him packing, the cost won’t be cheap. Now, Necas isn’t Rantanen, but he is a good player and being in a contract year could impact things.
For the Bruins, they have the ammunition to bring Necas on board. They have two first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, followed by four second-round picks over the next three drafts. With the Avalanche having only $1.5 million in salary cap space, shedding him could soften the blow.
For Sweeney to do this, he would be able to absorb the $6.5 million price tag under their current salary cap space ($28 million). An extension would hopefully follow, and the raise should be significantly more, which the Bruins can also do. But this is a move that the Bruins should explore, as they need talent on this roster.
Bringing in Necas Does Make Sense
Necas isn’t the flashiest star in the league, but he is a very good hockey player. He brings the necessary talent and skill, and he can help the Bruins in numerous areas. He brings enormous depth to the winger position and is also a familiar face to David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, whom he played with at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. Who wouldn’t love seeing those three together on a line, potentially, or just on the same team?
This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.
