Insider: Necas Sweepstakes Narrowed to "5-to-7 Intriguing Possibilities"

This much we know: Restricted free agent Martin Necas wants out of Raleigh. The latest report, from insider Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, has the Carolina Hurricanes narrowing the list of trade partners down to just over a handful.

They've heard from basically every team in the league. I'm told 5 to 7 teams invite intriguing possibilities for the Hurricanes. But no one's gone up to the price that they would like to see.

Canes interim GM Eric Tulsky has set a high bar in return for the rising star forward, coming off his second straight 20+ goal season. They've told other teams that they're quite content keeping him if they don't get their asking price. That could certainly create an awkward situation, as Necas has already privately told the team he wants out, and the player's father has gone public with those same demands.

LeBrun lists the Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins as teams that are known to have approached the Hurricanes, but he can't say for sure if they are all part of the "5 to 7 potential matches."

Two teams from this list are on the extreme opposite ends of potential matches: The Canadiens have 24 picks in these next two Drafts, and therefore should have more than enough, at least from a draft capital standpoint, to satisfy the Hurricanes in a return for Necas. The Habs are desperate for another legitimate top-six forward, and adding the 25-year-old would be a huge boon to their rebuild.

On the other end of the extreme are the Bruins, who have virtually no draft capital or other young affordable pieces to trade, and it's unlikely that they are among the "intriguing possibilities" that the Hurricanes have identified.

The Detroit Red Wings are another team that has mentioned in other rumors, and they, like the Canadiens, could definitely use another top-six scorer.