Dan Bylsma
The Seattle Kraken are hoping that new head coach Dan Bylsma can ignite a spark and introduce an up-tempo style to the team, and they are reportedly interested in acquiring former first-round draft pick Martin Necas to help establish that identity.
In a recent NHL Network segment, the NHL Tonight crew discussed potential destinations for Carolina Hurricanes centerman Martin Necas, with the Seattle Kraken among the interested teams.
“Several teams have Necas on their radar,” analyst David Pagnotta noted. “Seattle is among them, along with Nashville, Montreal, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Calgary Flames. Many teams are contacting Carolina’s general manager, Eric Tulsky, to see if they can acquire him.”
Analyst E.J. Hradek praised Necas as a player with “electric skills,” suggesting he could add a much-needed skill element to any team with a strong physical presence.
Necas, 25, had a breakout season in 2022-23, recording 71 points (28 goals, 43 assists) while playing all 82 games and averaging a career-high 18 minutes and 24 seconds of ice time per game. Last season, his production dipped slightly to 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 73 games, and he posted his first negative plus-minus rating (-9) since his rookie season in 2019-20.
In his career, Necas has accumulated 97 goals and 146 assists in 362 games, with a plus-20 goal differential.
“The Carolina Hurricanes value Necas highly,” Pagnotta stated. “They plan to discuss a contract extension with his agent, and the consensus around the league is that if he reaches full-term, his AAV could be around $7 to $7.5 million.”
Despite this, there is speculation that Carolina may trade Necas. Pagnotta highlighted that under head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system, there are questions about whether Necas can fully exploit his talents.
Additionally, there is a connection between Necas and the Kraken. Seattle general manager Ron Francis was in the same role with Carolina when the Hurricanes selected Necas 12th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.
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