The conference finals are nearly underway, and thus the NHL is one step closer to crowning this year’s champion. While most Canadian hockey fans tuned in to the “Battle of Canada” between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers, fans of the other seven Canadian franchises can do nothing but look forward to next season. The Calgary Flames have been sitting idle since early April, after being eliminated from postseason contention for the second consecutive season. The team is in a transitional period and traded away Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin in 2023-24. They now have nine picks in the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft, which will serve as the first test of the offseason.
The Flames need to make a smart choice with their ninth-overall draft selection, as well as decisions on trading players such as goaltender Jacob Markstrom and winger Andrew Mangiapane. Their hunt should be for a young, affordable, centre with top-line potential as they do not currently have any in their pipeline. This is much easier said than done. However, after recent news regarding the Carolina Hurricanes’ 2024-25 salary cap complications, one such player may be made available. Centre Martin Necas is currently a restricted free agent (RFA) and the Hurricanes will have no money left for him after signing star acquisition Jake Guentzel and some other needed roster players. Many teams are salivating, and here’s why the Flames should limit their pursuit of his services.
Flawed On-Ice Product
A native of Nove Mesto na Morave, Czechia, Necas does check off most of the aforementioned boxes: he is 25 years of age, a right-handed centreman, and a gifted offensive talent. He put up a career-high 28 goals and 71 points in 82 games in 2022-23. To the market’s credit, players like this don’t become available often. However, the terms “centreman” and “centre” should be used very loosely when referring to Necas. Since he joined the NHL in 2017-18, he has taken 814 total faceoffs, winning only 338 of them (42%). Not very reminiscent of a top-six man in the middle in our opinion. Instead, the Hurricanes have tended to deploy Necas on the wing more often than not.
After his breakout campaign, Necas’ production dipped this past season as well, to the tune of 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games. So, which version of him would the Flames get? The forward also doesn’t demonstrate the defensive effectiveness one would expect from a top-six centre. The 25-year-old was third-worst on the Hurricanes with a plus/minus rating of minus-9. Keep in mind, this was on a team that had a plus-66 goal differential. He is also seemingly careless with the puck at times, as judged by his average of 65 giveaways per season. His 31 blocked shots in 2023-24 would have ranked 15th on the Flames. Another interesting stat of his is that he started a whopping 67% of his shifts in the offensive zone. So essentially, he can put the puck in the net, but the Flames could not trust him to keep it out of their own.
The Timing & Fit Are Off
Now yes, the Flames want young centres with high upside. Off the ice, Necas still isn’t the answer right now. His RFA status means they would have to pay him. Do they have the money? Yes; they have approximately $20 million in available cap space this summer. He just played out a two-year bridge contract worth $3 million annually and would be in line for at least double that figure on a new long-term contract. A comparable for him would be the Anaheim Ducks’ Troy Terry, who signed a seven-year, $49 million deal when he was 25 and had scored back-to-back 60-plus point seasons. That would mean the Flames would have Necas’ $7 million average annual value (AAV), Jonathan Huberdeau’s $10.5 million AAV, Nazem Kadri’s $7 million AAV, and MacKenzie Weegar‘s $6.25 million AAV on the books until 2028-29 (Kadri’s expiry). Not many general managers can build a contender with that little available financial wiggle room.
Related: Should The Calgary Flames Draft Tig Iginla?
Not to mention the Flames’ own star 25-year-old Yegor Sharangovich needs a raise after next season, same with Matt Coronato, Connor Zary and a smattering of others. Speaking of Coronato, adding Necas to the roster would all but eliminate his role with the team if he weren’t traded for Necas’ rights in the first place. Building through the draft is what the Flames need, and either a young prospect or a few of the previously discussed draft picks would be required by the Hurricanes for Necas. The other, arguably most important aspect that would negate all of the preceding points? What if Necas doesn’t want to sign? The Flames won’t be contending for a bit, have a very high income tax, desolate winters, and the sometimes unforgiving spotlight of a Canadian market.
Ultimately, whoever gets Necas will be getting a quality NHLer who could blossom further than a 70-point player. We’re not suggesting he’s a horrible player, person, or anything of the sort. He’s just simply not for the Flames. The franchise needs to focus on the draft ahead and use the picks just acquired from jettisoning many prominent individuals elsewhere. Young centres should definitely be on the radar, but not for huge money and term. They should also actually be centres, adept at the responsibilities of a centre, who want to be Flames.
