Report: Bruins among teams interested in Hurricanes star Martin Necas originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins still need to acquire a top-six forward and add some more speed to their lineup during the NHL offseason. Could Martin Necas be a realistic target for them?
The Carolina Hurricanes forward has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks. He could become a restricted free agent this summer, and the Hurricanes must decide if he will be part of their future.
If the Hurricanes make Necas available, which teams might be interested?
“The Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins are among the teams that have expressed general interest,” Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported Thursday. “I’m not sure whether they are among the five to seven that Carolina sees as a match.”
LeBrun also noted “there’s no question he wants a change of scenery.”
Necas is only 25 years old, so from an age perspective he would be an ideal player to add to the Bruins’ core of David Pastrnak (28 years old), Charlie McAvoy (26) and Jeremy Swayman (25).
The Czech forward is a versatile player who can play in the center, but he is mainly used as a winger in Carolina. The Bruins really need a top-six center after Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha struggled to score goals and generate offense at 5-on-5 during the playoffs.
Necas scored 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 77 games last season. He set career highs with 28 goals and 43 assists in 82 games during the 2022-2023 season. Necas scored nine points (four goals, five assists) in the Hurricanes’ 11-game playoffs last season. It’s also fair to say that Necas is one of the fastest players in the league.
The Bruins currently have about $21.2 million in salary cap space, per CapFriendly. They should re-sign goaltender Jeremy Swayman (RFA) and consider re-signing Jake DeBrusk (UFA), among other internal free agents.
If the B’s were to acquire Necas, they would have to sign him to a new contract. That could be expensive, but given his age and talent, acquiring a player of his caliber would be a very strong move. Necas is also familiar with Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The three of them helped the Czech Republic win the gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Championships last month.
If the Bruins don’t make a deal for Necas, there are plenty of good free agents who could be available on July 1. The top forwards who could hit the market include Steven Stamkos, Elias Lindholm, Sam Reinhart, Jake Guentzel, Jonathan Marchessault, Tyler Toffoli, Chandler Stephenson and Anthony Mantha.
