The Carolina Hurricanes are 4-2-0 in their last six games and most recently beat the Boston Bruins in a thrilling 3-2 win on Jan. 24. The win marked Spencer Martin‘s first victory in his Hurricanes debut (and on the Moms’ Trip). It also featured another Martin who is red hot after returning from an upper-body injury suffered in early January. Ever since the Detroit game versus the Red Wings on Jan. 19, Martin Necas has been scorching hot.
Necas’ New Mindset Kicks Off Streak
After missing five games (dating back to the Washington Capitals matchup on Jan. 5), Necas has been on a tear, scoring his 10th goal of the season in the second period versus the Red Wings to kick off a three-game goal-scoring streak.
“I probably should have had a couple [of goals] in the first, then finally it went in [in the second period],” Necas said after the Red Wings game. “I felt good, physically. I haven’t played for a couple of weeks, and I just have to build on that… It feels like a new season. Let’s make it a better one. It was a good win for us. It felt good to be back.”
Related: Hurricanes’ Necas Needs to Prove Last Year Was No Fluke
Necas further mentioned that watching the game from the press box gave him some clarity and a new mindset on the Hurricanes’ system. That mental reset seems to have worked for the 25-year-old winger, who is in the final year of his two-year, $6 million contract. He will be a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights after the season.
Hopefully, this stretch will jump-start the season fans were hoping for after he led the team in points with 71 last season. The way his season started, and him being bounced around the lineup, did not give any notion the Hurricanes could trust Necas in high-leverage situations. Entering 2023-24, it seemed he was going to be the second-line right-winger next to center Jesperi Kotkaniemi. While his 30 points have him in the team’s top five, he’s had stretches where he has not found the scoresheet. However, since coming back, he has seemed to find his 2022-23 form.
This season, Necas is tied for third on the team in points with 30 along Andrei Svechnikov and newcomer Michael Bunting. He is also fourth in goals with 12, tied for sixth in assists with 18, and his 109 shots are tied for third with Seth Jarvis. However, for what it’s worth, he has the third-worst plus/minus on the team at minus-12 — only Jordan Staal (minus-14) and Bunting (minus-16) have worse ratings.
Necas’ Contract Extension Possibilities
Along with Necas, Jarvis will become an RFA after his entry-level contract (ELC) expires after the season, while defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce will both be unrestricted free agents (UFA) this summer. All of that will come into play when negotiating Necas’ extension. However, the NHL salary cap will most likely increase by more than $4 million for next season.
Related: Hurricanes’ Jarvis Has Earned a Huge Contract Extension
Necas’ current deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $3 million. One possible scenario is for management to offer Necas — both to avoid arbitration and keep him beyond two seasons — a four-year deal worth roughly $20 million ($5 million AAV) that would keep him in Raleigh through 2027-28. It would only be a $2 million increase, but would give him and the Hurricanes some stability in the top six for the next four seasons. The deal would give the Hurricanes room to be flexible with other extensions and free-agent signings as well and could end up being win-win for both sides. Necas would be 29 at the time when he and the team would talk about another extension.
