Friday night's trade sent shockwaves through the league. For those just catching wind of the news, the Carolina Hurricanes completed a three-team deal with Colorado and Chicago which landed them Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall. It's one of the biggest moves in franchise history, bringing life to a seemingly normal end to the work week.
With each new beginning comes a sad ending. As part of the package to Colorado, the Hurricanes traded away Martin Necas and Jack Drury. It's an unfortunate side of the business that two beloved players have to depart Raleigh. They were excellent Hurricanes and we wish them nothing but the best as they head to the Mile High City.
Martin Necas was drafted 12th overall in the 2017 draft, making his NHL debut on October 17th in Edmonton, a 5-3 win for the Hurricanes. While scoreless in his debut, Necas would earn his first point a year later, assisting on a Warren Foegele goal in a wild win over the Rangers. His first goal came nine days later in Tampa Bay against Louis Domingue.
Necas would become a full-time NHL player during the 2019-20 season, scoring 16 goals and 36 points in 64 games before COVID-19 ended the regular season. His true breakout came in 2022-23 when he led the Hurricanes with 71 points behind a career-high 28 goals. Necas started this season on a tear, leading the league in points at one time. He'd slowed down a bit but was leading the team with 55 points in 49 games.
Perhaps where Necas shone the most was 3-on-3 overtime. He's second to Sebastian Aho in the organization's history in goals (9) and points (20), and second to Eric Staal in assists (11). Until Aho scored his fourth overtime goal against Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, Necas owned the record for most overtime goals in a season with four in 2022-23.
Jack Drury was drafted a year after Necas, selected 42nd overall in 2018. Drury debuted in a memorable December game in 2021 against Detroit. The Canes had been hit by COVID, leaving only 16 skaters available after call-ups. One of those players was Drury and he would score a goal in his debut by beating Alex Nedeljkovic. He'd follow it up by scoring again two days later against Jonathan Quick and the Kings.
Drury saw more time with the team during the 2022-23 season, scoring eight points in 38 games during the regular season before adding three assists in 13 playoff games. Last season, he became a regular down the middle. With more opportunity came more production. He scored eight goals and 27 assists in nearly a full season. This year, he'd been hampered by an injury, leaving him with nine points in 39 games.
Outside of his memorable two-game stint in 2021, my favorite Jack Drury moment was his Game 5 goal in the third period against the Islanders last season. New York had swung the momentum in their favor, tying the game at three in the second period. The puck took a funny bounce onto his stick and he sniped it past Semyon Varlamov for his first career playoff goal. We didn't see Drury tear it up, but he was an excellent two-way center.
While they are no longer on the Carolina Hurricanes roster, Necas and Drury will hold a spot in the team's history. Both were excellent examples of what it means to be a Hurricane and we should be forever grateful for all they did for the organization. This isn't truly goodbye forever. It's just the next step in their journey.