New Jersey Devils
Report: Devils Investigating Martin Necas Trade
The Devils are reportedly willing to include the 10th overall selection at the 2024 NHL Draft in a deal for Martin Necas.
According to a report, the New Jersey Devils are investigating a trade for Carolina Hurricanes forward, Martin Necas.
Frank Seravalli, insider via DailyFaceoff, explained on Wednesday night that the Devils could utilize the 10th overall selection at the 2024 NHL Draft to make quite the splash.
“New Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky is busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking competition. He’s fielding offers for Necas, he’s trying his best to keep Jake Guentzel, he’s starting to work on a Seth Jarvis extension, and oh yeah, this is his first Draft as a manager,” Seravalli writes.
“That’s a lot. There is a belief that the New Jersey Devils have dangled the No. 10 overall pick in a deal for Necas, but if that were to materialize, it might not be until Draft night and in Round 1 itself depending on how the board breaks. Would that be a starting point for Carolina to consider? Columbus, Calgary, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Nashville are some of the other teams watching.”
Seravalli mentioned the Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators are some of the other teams scoping out the Necas situation.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see General Manager Tom Fitzgerald in the market for a big-name top-six forward. He’s reportedly in the market for nearly every position, and after losing Tyler Toffoli by trading him at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, Fitzgerald knew he needed to fill a void in his top-six.
Necas (25) had a bit of a regression last season. After scoring 28 goals and 71 points in 2022-23, Necas potted 24 goals and 53 points this season.
Acquiring Necas would actually be the easier part of the potential transaction. Once the Devils acquire the restricted free agent, they’d find ground on a contract.
AFP Analytics projects Necas on a short-term, three-year contract to carry an average annual value of $6,242,133. Long-term, Necas projects to ink a seven-year contract with a $7,521,066. AAV.
Certainly, the 10th overall pick on Friday won’t be enough on it’s own to retrieve the young, Czech forward. We’ll see how this potentially shakes out in the coming days.
New Jersey is set to open the 2024-25 season against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague in Necas’ home country.
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