NHL Trade Rumors: Hurricanes Martin Necas Becoming Trade Candidate

 Middle-six forward Martin Necas has registered his second consecutive 20-goal season this year with the Carolina Hurricanes, but he is one of a large number of free agents the team will have to deal with this summer. Necas falls into the RFA category, but is likely lagging behind in the priority pecking order to some of the team's bigger-name UFAs.

The Hurricanes have no less than 8 pending UFAs and 3 RFAs. And as noted by Marco D'Amico of Montreal Hockey Now, they only have about $30 million in cap space to divvy up amongst them. A trade is almost a certainty, and Necas's name has come to the forefront. 

"The Carolina Hurricanes are seemingly at a crossroads when it comes to their roster, and a talented forward may be sacrificed to maintain cap flexibility and keep key roster players in the fold," writes D'Amico.

With higher priorities for the Hurricanes to re-sign including Jake Guentzel, Seth Jarvis, Teuvo Teräväinen and defencemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, Necas could find himself in a new uniform this coming summer.

Necas, 25, is coming off a two-year, $6 million deal, and as an RFA, would be under team control, making a trade a viable and affordable option for another club. 

With speed and size (6'2", 190 pounds), Necas has proven himself to be a strong offensive player, registering 23 goals and 52 points this season thus far, following his breakout 2022-23 in which he recorded a career-high 28 goals and 71 points.

The former first-rounder (12th overall, 2017) will certainly be in demand on the trade market. 

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