The Carolina Hurricanes recently re-signed forward Martin Necas to a two-year contract extension worth $6.5 million per season, relieving the stress from Canes fans who were concerned he may be on the trade block and getting moved. A report from Frank Seravalli increased those concerns when he stated that the Winnipeg Jets offered Cole Perfetti, Rutger McGroarty, and a draft pick to the Hurricanes in exchange for Necas, which was rejected. For the Jets to be willing to give up two solid young pieces as well as draft capital for him seemed unlikely, and a new report from a much more trusted source within the Jets’ world of journalism confirmed that deal was never on the table to begin with.
Scott Billeck, a writer for the Winnipeg Sun, made it clear in his recent tweet that the Jets didn’t want to move Perfetti. Instead, it was the Hurricanes who asked for Perfetti and were told he wasn’t available. Another big issue with this proposal was that Necas informed the Jets he wasn’t interested in re-signing long-term with them, so a deal never came to fruition. It’s possible a deal between the two sides was close at one point if Necas informed the Jets he wasn’t going to re-sign, but it doesn’t sound like it would have been the massive trade that Seravalli claimed would happen.
Necas Would Have Been Huge Addition to Jets’ Lineup
Hurricanes fans know what Necas brings to the table offensively, and at just 25 years old he may still have another level to reach. Last season, he scored 24 goals and added 29 assists for 53 points through 77 games which comes out to a 0.69 points-per-game average. Throughout his career so far, he has scored 97 goals and added 146 assists for 243 points through 362 games which comes out to a 0.67 points-per-game average. Bringing in someone who can consistently put up 50-60 points a season while also not being at his peak yet would have been a huge help for the Jets in their top-nine forward group, but the price seems to have been too high.
While some Hurricanes fans are iffy about Necas’ consistency in the defensive zone, he seemed to show some signs of improvement last season and if he can clean it up to become an elite two-way forward, teams that didn’t pay big to bring him in may start to regret it. He has the potential to be a superstar at the NHL level and seems poised for a breakout season. The Jets may have been smart to hold onto Perfetti and McGroarty for now, but they should have pushed a little harder with other assets if they planned on making a deep playoff run this season.
Seravalli Also Claimed Sabres Had Interest
To top it off, Seravalli claimed the Buffalo Sabres had interest in Necas but pulled back on trade negotiations because he wasn’t interested in re-signing with them. While the Sabres may have been interested, I don’t see a world where negotiations ever got close considering what the Hurricanes’ asking price was set at for Necas. They don’t quite have the assets available to pull off a deal for him right now, and they don’t seem to be in a position where it makes sense for them to be moving prospects for rentals.
At the end of the day, Necas is staying in Carolina. The Hurricanes will be looking to make a push for their first Stanley Cup since 2006, and they’ll be hoping they can have more success in the postseason than last season. After choosing not to move him, the Hurricanes are hoping Necas can prove everyone wrong and shine brighter than he has before, breaking out offensively and helping lead them to a championship this season.
