After getting burned last year, Avalanche agree to eight-year, $92 million contract extension for Martin Necas

The Colorado Avalanche signed winger Martin Necas to an eight-year contract extension worth a total of $92 million, the team announced. The new deal carries an average annual value of $11.5 million, and it runs through the 2033-34 season.

The Avalanche acquired Necas last season in the blockbuster trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes after contract negotiations soured with him. Since the moment he arrived in Denver, Necas has fit like a glove alongside superstar Nathan MacKinnon, posting 18 goals and 23 assists in 41 games.

The No. 12 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Necas broke out with the Hurricanes in 2022-23, when he tallied 71 points in 82 games. In his seven seasons with Carolina, Necas often flashed his high-end playmaking ability, but it never really felt like his ceiling had been unlocked. That may not be the case anymore now that Necas is riding shotgun with a top-five player in the world.

With Necas signed for the long haul, two core pieces of this Avalanche team is set in stone for quite a while. MacKinnon and Necas are locked in through at least the 2030-31 season, and president of hockey operations Joe Sakic can now turn his attention to signing Norris Trophy defenseman Cale Makar to a long-term extension. He becomes eligible to sign on July 1, 2026.

Given what transpired between Colorado and Rantanen last year, the team was smart not to make the same mistake twice, and its championship window is still wide open.

Lessons learned from last year

When the Avalanche traded Rantanen for Necas back in January, it came as a shock. Rantanen is a former 55-goal scorer and one of the best wingers in the league. Players with his combination of size and speed don't come around often, but the two sides couldn't agree to terms on a long-term contract extension, and Colorado chose to roll the dice with Necas instead.

Then, Rantanen was traded again to the Dallas Stars, where he signed an eight-year contract worth $12 million per year. Of course, everyone remembers how Rantanen ended the Avalanche's season in the playoffs. He led the Stars to a third-period comeback in Game 7 with a hat trick (plus an assist) in the final 12:11 of the game. It was one of the great revenge games in hockey history.

After that debacle, the Avalanche were wise not to lose another stud winger for what amounts to pennies in the grand scheme of things. I can understand how signing Necas for just $500,000 less per year than what Rantanen got in Dallas would stick in the craw of Colorado fans, but I wouldn't sweat it too much. The salary cap is slated to jump from $95.5 million this season to $104 million in 2026-27 and $113.5 million in 2027-28. Necas' new contract will look very reasonable by then.

Besides, Necas has been exceptional with the Avalanche. He and MacKinnon have been a nightmare for opponents, and they've quickly evolved into one of the NHL's most lethal tandems. In almost 148 minutes with Necas and MacKinnon on the ice together at five-on-five, they've produced a plus- goal differential and a 65.3% expected goals share, per Natural Stat Trick.

Now, Colorado has ensured that Necas and MacKinnon can be side-by-side for the foreseeable future, and the team won't have to risk seeing Necas end their 2025-26 season in heartbreaking fashion.

Another potential 2026 free agent off the board

With Necas signing this extension, the pool of quality players in the 2026 free agent class has gotten rather shallow. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov have all signed extensions with their respective teams, and clubs looking to make major roster upgrades next summer may have to alter those plans.

Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Tuch are still on the board, but it's really hard to see all of those players getting to market on July 1. The rising salary cap means teams will be able to retain those player more easily than in previous years, when there was a stagnated cap environment as the NHL recovered from the effects of the pandemic. 

Because of that, it's imperative that teams find other ways to build a championship roster. Some contenders, like the Stars and New Jersey Devils, have build their foundation via the draft. Others, like the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights, have connected on some major swings on the trade market.