‘Let’s just focus on hockey’: Is contract year pressure affecting Canes’ Martin Necas?
A year ago, it was Andrei Svechnikov.
This year, it’s Martin Necas.
Both were first-round draft picks by the Carolina Hurricanes — Necas in 2017, Svechnikov in 2018. Both forwards figure to be a big part of the Canes’ plans moving forward.
Svechnikov, 21, has been well rewarded by the Canes. Finishing off his three-year, entry-level contract last season, the power forward agreed to an eight-year, $62 million contract extension, or $7.75 million a year.
But it wasn’t a smooth ride for Svechnikov. He was inconsistent at times last season, as if feeling the effects of playing for that new, big contract. It showed in his game-to-game performance. There were gaps in his play.
“That’s part of it, that’s part of the business,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Monday. “Everyone goes through it.”
Pressure on Necas?
Now, it’s Necas’ turn to go through it. He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract, having spent the 2018-19 season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL — and winning the 2019 Calder Cup — before becoming a full-time NHL player in the 2019-20 season.
While the Canes are 32-11-3 this season and a potential Stanley Cup contender, Necas has been the one experiencing the inconsistencies. He has not scored a goal in the past nine games and has one in his past 17, missing two games last month because of COVID-19.
Contract pressure?
“Not really,” Necas said Monday. “At the end of it, we look at how the team is playing. When we’re playing good I don’t really care about my scoring. It’s always about, I think, where you’ve got to get maybe a couple of games (and) couple of goals and then you get going. I’m not really worried about that.
“It’s a long season and you have ups and downs, as a player, as a team. You’ve got to ... just battle through.”
Necas, who will be a restricted free agent after the season, said there were some contract negotiations with the team in the offseason, but not in the past few months. Those with knowledge of those talks say things remain amicable between Canes president and general manager Don Waddell and Necas and his agent, Michael Deutsch of Eclipse Sports Management.
“I’m just trying to play hockey and not think about the other things,” Necas said. “Hopefully I’m going to be here for a long time and we’ll decide it after the season. Now, we’re just in the (second) half of the season and let’s just focus on the hockey.”
Solid NHL season
Necas, 23, is on pace for about a 15-goal, 45-point season for the Canes, which would be only marginally better than the 14 goals and 41 points he had in 53 games during the condensed 2021 season. Svechnikov, by comparison, had 20 goals and 44 points in 43 games last season.
Necas called his season “not bad,” adding, “As a team we’re playing great and that’s the main thing, you know. Of course, I would expect me to score maybe more goals and be a little bit more on the score sheet, but I always (play) the second half of the season better, so let’s get better on that in the second half.”
Necas is the Canes’ swiftest skater, although rookie forward Seth Jarvis is also pretty fast on his skates. Necas’ skills, speed and elusiveness can create problems for opponents, and the Czech has been used both on the power play and in penalty killing, but his puck management and focus on defensive responsibilities can sometimes be a challenge.
“He’s certainly had some real good moments and great moments in there,” Brind’Amour said. “I think he’s been good. The numbers are maybe not quite where we want them to be but he’s had a lot of opportunities that didn’t go in. Look at the Grade-A chances the past few games. He’s had two or three where if those go in, we’re having a different conversation.”
‘Dynamic ability’
After converting 14.8% of his shots his first two NHL seasons, Necas has dropped off to 9.6% this season. It could be a matter of better puck luck and he will get his chances on a line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.
“We use him on everything now and he’s a big part of what we’re doing, so we’d like to see him maybe a little more consistent,” Brind’Amour said. “But at the end of the day he’s a pretty dynamic player.”
Necas has four game-winning goals, tying Nino Niederreiter for the team lead. The four winners came in the first 24 games of the season, and he and has scored three goals since that game at Winnipeg. The last was on his 23rd birthday, Jan. 15 against Vancouver, two days before he went into COVID protocol.
While used on the wing, Necas was drafted as a center and Brind’Amour isn’t ruling out a move back to playing center one day.
“For sure,” Brind’Amour said. “How we’re set up right now, it doesn’t make any sense. He definitely has that potential.
“I look at him, he’s pretty good threat on the wing, too, the way he plays. You don’t want to put a player at center and lose that dynamic ability he has.”
