Colorado Avalanche must push to re-sign Martin Necas or trade him

The Colorado Avalanche head into the 2025-26 in a similar spot to the one they were this past season with Mikko Rantanen. The club has a high-end, top-line winger in the final year of his deal.

And, like this past season, the Avalanche will be pushing hard to re-sign Necas. Despite the comments that insider Nick Kypreos made, claiming that Necas was unhappy in Colorado, the fact is that Necas and the Avalanche are the best fit for one another.

Necas and the Avs will have the benefit of a full training camp. That situation could go a long way toward making Necas feel more comfortable in the Mile High City. Necas will get the chance to get in sync with his linemate and build the sort of chemistry he might not have been able to build last season.

That also means the Avalanche will have weeks, if not months, to engage Necas’ camp in extension talks. It’s unfathomable to believe that Colorado has not reached out the Necas’ people about an extension.

But I would like to caution Avalanche fans. If the Avalanche cannot sign Necas by the beginning of January, another major trade could be coming weeks head of the trade deadline.

The reasoning is simple: This year, the Olympic break has reconfigured the NHL’s entire landscape. As such, contenders will be looking to position themselves before the Olympic break.

How so?

The Olympic break could give newcomers a chance to adjust to their new teams. The three-week layoff could be more than enough for a new player to get settled in with his new team. That means that clubs interested in trading fort Matin Necas could be compelled to pull the trigger before the Olympic break in February.

Necas may stall negotiations with Colorado Avalanche

Part of the narrative surrounding Martin Necas and the Colorado Avalanche has been Necas’ reported desired to test the free-agent market. Some estimates place Necas in the $10 million AAV range.

Frankly, that seems high. But the way salaries have exploded with the rising cap, $10 million AAV could be the going rate for a top-line winger like Necas.

It’s worth pointing out that even at $10 million, Necas would be cheaper than Rantanen. Rantanen ended up signing in Dallas for less than what Colorado was offering. While we could argue the tax advantage situation in Texas, the fact is that Rantanen overplayed his hand.

That’s something the Necas also risks. Contending clubs don’t have the luxury of adding $10 million to their cap hit. The Toronto Maple Leafs were in a unique situation this season after losing Mitch Marner and his astronomical cap hit.

But beyond that, teams like the Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Florida Panthers have been sifting through the couch cushions looking for cap space. Plus, mid-tier teams like the Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, or St. Louis Blues may not be the most appealing destinations for Necas.

Unless a club like the New York Rangers were willing to replace Artemi Panarin with Necas, the pickings will be slim for Necas. Nevertheless, Necas may stall negotiations with the Colorado Avalanche just to get a feel for what other teams may be willing to offer him.

Perhaps both sides play it cool this season and wait till the offseason. If the Avs can’t resign Necas, they’ll have plenty of cap space to fiddle around with. If the Colorado Avalanche keep Necas, well, then everything could be just peachy for the foreseeable future.