Chris MacFarland confirms Colorado Avalanche superstars future depends on playoff performance
Photo credit: The Rink Live
Martin Necas will be facing the player he was traded for in Mikko Rantanen, as the Colorado Avalanche will battle the Dallas Stars in an exciting first-round matchup.
Game 1 of the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars 1st-round playoff series on Saturday, April 19th.
One storyline Avalanche fans should pay attention to is the Martin Necas factor, who was traded for Mikko Rantanen mid-season. Rantane would parlay himself out of Carolina, where he refused to sign a contract, and has found himself on a Dallas Stars team in an existential matchup against the Avalanche.
This will be the 7th series between the two teams, and Necas will be one factor to count on for offensive production for the Avalanche.
His payday depends on it.
Necas will be an RFA at the end of the 2025-2026 season, and he will want to prove to GM Chris McFarland and the Avalanche that he deserves a rewarding contract.
Which the team could offer him on July 1st, even as a pending RFA in the NHL.
"We want to see how (Necas) finishes the year and how he plays in the playoffs and then we'll attack that in the off-season," Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in March.
GM Chris McFarland will want to prioritize the Necas contract in order to avoid a future situation where they lose someone like Mikko Rantanen.
However, for Necas to earn a new contract, he'll have to produce more than we've seen him do in the postseason before.
In 59 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, he's scored 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) under Rod Brind'Amour.
Considering the star talent he's surrounded by in Colorado, this shouldn't be an issue, as Jared Bednar has figured out what works for the young forward.
"I know what worked for him already and what doesn't," Bednar said of Necas' playoff past. "It's the same thing that works for him and what doesn't in the regular season. We've had some discussions on his play and what he needs to do, because I think he can be a huge X-factor in this series."
With Necas surrounded by some of the best players in the NHL with Nathan MacKinnon, Valerie Nichushkin, and Cale Makar we should hopefully see an explosive and dynamic young forward who reaches new heights under Bednar.
The duel between Rantanen and Necas should be exemplary hockey to watch, but to see Necas grow as a playoff performer will be far more rewarding for Avalanche fans.
Martin Necas currently earns $6.5 million AAV and could be due a generous raise depending on his performance in the 2024-2025 playoffs.
He's scored a total of 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists) in 49 games this season.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 19 | 34 ANSWERS Chris MacFarland confirms Colorado Avalanche superstars future depends on playoff performance Do you think forward Martin Necas of the Colorado Avalanche deserves a raise? | ||
| Yes | 30 | 88.2 % |
| No | 4 | 11.8 % |
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