Martin Necas just landed a massive deal with the Colorado Avalanche, signing an eight-year extension worth $11.5 million per season. The timing couldn’t be better for both sides.
The 24-year-old forward has been on fire lately, putting up 13 points in his first 11 games this season while playing over 21 minutes a night.
It’s a huge commitment from Colorado, but they really needed to get this done. After trading away Mikko Rantanen last season, Necas stepped up as their second-best forward behind Nathan MacKinnon.
The Avs learned their lesson from the Rantanen situation. They couldn’t risk letting another star player’s contract situation drag on and potentially lose him like they did with Rantanen, who ended up signing with Dallas.
This deal looks pretty good for Colorado. They’re paying Necas $500,000 less per year than what Rantanen got from the Stars, and they’re keeping him well below MacKinnon’s $12.6 million salary – which helps maintain their salary structure.
Necas has really found his groove in Denver. While he showed flashes of brilliance in Carolina, he’s finally putting it all together. Last season was his first time hitting the point-per-game mark, with 83 points in 79 games.
The numbers tell the story. Since October 2024, he’s been one of the NHL’s top 25 scorers. His possession stats are impressive too – he controlled over 60% of the play when he was on the ice after joining the Avs.
That’s a huge improvement from his Carolina days, where he averaged about 58 points per season.
The Avalanche are betting big on Necas being their guy for the long haul. He’s now one of seven players they’ve got locked up through 2030, joining core pieces like MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, and Devon Toews.
Money’s going to be tight for the Avs in 2026-27. They’ll have about $16.1 million in cap space for nine roster spots – roughly $1.8 million per player. But most of their big stars are already signed, so they should be able to make it work.
The best part for Colorado? They can now turn their attention to extending Cale Makar next summer without worrying about Necas’s situation hanging over their heads.
