Today, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that the team has re-signed Czech forward Martin Necas to a 2-year contract that will carry a $3 million cap hit for the two seasons. It does mean that the Hurricanes are now slightly over the salary cap and will have to find a way to move out money and get under the salary cap ceiling before opening night.
Other than dropping the ball and not announcing Necas’ deal on 8/8, this is a very good deal. This is a player with a lot of potential so this deal has the ability to be really good. Necas had a difficult season this most recent season as he suffered from covid, concussions, and reduced ice time to contribute to what appeared to be a lack of confidence. We’ve seen the proof that this is a player with fantastic talent.
What this does mean now is that the Hurricanes have a log jam up front and that is a good thing. With 10 different forwards capable of playing in the top 3 lines, someone is not going to have a position in that top nine. I doubt the team will opt to make a move to clear the cap from the forward core given its current setup. With that said, this is a really nice move moving forward.
Necas will be an RFA upon expiry and he wants to move across to center at the NHL level. While there’s been no evidence of him being able to do that, his speed and smarts look good for a transition back to the position that got him drafted 12th overall in 2017. While there’s still a lot to see with the development of Necas, he’s likely going to be given the shot to earn a position playing down the middle for one of the best teams in the NHL.