Recent news from Hockey Insider Frank Seravalli has sparked conversation. It has been rumored that the New Jersey Devils are willing to part ways with the 10th overall pick in a deal for Martin Nečas of the Carolina Hurricanes. While many teams will be vying for the highly-touted forward, the Devils should push their chips forward. Nečas is 25 years old and has an elite-level skill set that would complement the young group perfectly. After the moves general manager Tom Fitzgerald has already completed, acquiring Nečas would cement the Devils as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference next season.
After searching for an elite goaltender, which they accomplished by acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, the team’s top priority will be to add to their top-six forward group. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier already fill out four of the six available spots on the top two lines. Now, New Jersey needs elite forwards to surround their young and talented core group. Players of Nečas’ caliber rarely become available. However, with the Hurricanes strapped for cap space, he could be expendable for the right price.
Martin Nečas’ Background
The 25-year-old from Nové Město na Moravě, Czechia, was drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He spent his pre-draft career in the Czech Extraliga playing for HC Kometa Brno and their youth affiliates. At a young age, he displayed his speed and top-of-the-line skating ability, even playing amongst men. But where he really shined was with his dynamic playmaking talent and ability to be an important puck carrier as a shot and playmaking threat.
Outside of the NHL, he has won some serious hardware. He’s won the Czech Extraliga twice, a Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, and this past spring, he won gold at the IIHF World Championship with his home country, Czechia. Since joining the NHL during the 2019-20 season, Nečas has been putting up numbers. In 362 games in his young career, he already has 243 points, and in 59 playoff games, he has 30 points. Nečas has been an impact player wherever he’s played so far.
This past season, he achieved the second-highest scoring season of his career and was a big playoff performer. He is, above all things, a playmaker. He loves to dish the puck and create opportunities for his teammates, and at such a young age, he’s becoming one of the best in the league at doing so. When he gets set up in the offensive zone, he’s the most lethal, as he ranks in the highest percentiles for in-zone offense, in-zone shots, shots, and shot contributions. He loves setup passes to make hockey plays and garner secondary assists with his high-IQ playmaking. Nečas is the perfect player to put next to a star scorer while also having the ability to shine independently.
Nečas’ Fit on the Devils
Nečas would be an immediate fit with the Devils’ system. He is a high-tempo player who is savvy with the puck on his stick and is an elite decision-maker. He loves to use his speed in open ice to draw defenders toward him and create space for his teammates. When he does that, he can create beautiful and crisp passes for his teammates in high-danger scoring areas for prime scoring opportunities. He’s a selfless player who is also smart enough to know where to be to set himself up for scoring opportunities.
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On a team that plays a high-speed, north-south style, Nečas would thrive playing alongside either Hischier or Hughes. He can become a primary or secondary playmaker and would complement either forward perfectly. Nečas is the kind of player that makes things easy for whoever he’s on the ice with offensively. He’s creative, crafty, and always looks for open ice. Playing with Sebastian Aho in Carolina, as seen by this beautiful play sequence below, he has already previewed the kind of skill he can bring to the Devils’ top-six.
He has the vision and creativity to find ways to score and is talented enough to do the unthinkable sometimes. Last season, the Devils saw what a 30-goal-scorer like Tyler Toffoli provided, even with his limited foot speed and agility. Now plug Nečas into the picture; that top-six could be among the NHL’s most dangerous. He is also extremely versatile; she has predominantly played center during his tenure in Carolina but can also play right-wing at a high level. He would likely play right-wing by default, as the Devils need a right shot to complement their four left-shot stars.
Should Devils Trade for Nečas?
Based on his scoring track record and skill set, he would be a tremendous fit for the Devils. If the buzz surrounding his availability is true, by all means, the Devils should acquire him. While there are other potential fits like Pavel Buchnevich and Nikolaj Ehlers, who New Jersey could target as other forward options this offseason, Necas is the best option. As a pending restricted free agent, the Hurricanes don’t have much leverage if he doesn’t want to stay in Carolina, meaning that his cost may not be as high as anticipated.
New Jersey has some trade capital with their No. 10 pick and pieces, such as Alexander Holtz, John Marino, and prospects. The Devils have roughly $15.2 million in cap space (PuckPedia), which leaves them in a great spot before trading any assets to give Nečas the big payday he’s looking for. Nečas fits the current mold of the team, is the right age to fit with the core players, and has all the skills to be successful. If the Devils manage to pull off this trade, he would be the perfect fit for the team.
