Before the NHL free agency began, many believed it was almost certain that Martin Necas would not be a Carolina Hurricane by the start of training camp in mid-September.
However, a few weeks later, the situation seems to have changed, according to Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky.
“[A new contract] will get done eventually,” Tulsky said, via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. “He wants to be here forever. We want him here forever. We just have to agree on the right number. It could be a short-term deal now and a longer-term one later. It could also be a long-term deal now. There are many ways to get it done, but no one is worried about whether he’ll be here for the long haul. It’s just a matter of how the contract works out.”
If Necas feels this way, it marks significant progress from where things stood when Carolina’s season ended in mid-May, after they were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the New York Rangers in six games.
Multiple reports at that time indicated that Necas was unhappy with his role on the team and wanted to go somewhere he could be more of an offensive star.
However, no trade ever gained traction. Tulsky told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun before the draft that he would match any offer sheet given to Necas by another team, and that his asking price in any trade for the 25-year-old forward was higher than the first-, second-, and third-round picks he would receive if Necas signed an offer sheet of $9 million per year with another club.
Now, it seems Necas will get his desired bigger role, but in Carolina rather than elsewhere.
“We have put everything on the table from one year to eight years,” Tulsky added. “So, it’s about figuring out what makes sense for both sides.”
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