Could Martin Necas be an offseason target for Bruins in a Linus Ullmark trade?

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Could Martin Necas be an offseason target for Bruins in a Linus Ullmark trade?

Posted By: jasabacklink May 29, 2024

Bruins

If the Bruins are focused on adding speed up front, there’s a lot to like about Necas’s skillset.

Martin Necas already has a 70-point season on his resume with Carolina. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The writing’s on the wall that Linus Ullmark’s tenure in Boston could be coming to an end.

Though the Bruins have benefitted from boasting the best goalie tandem in the league, Jeremy Swayman’s upcoming raise and his dominant play in the playoffs mapped out a future where the 25-year-old goalie holds court as Boston’s No. 1 option in net. 

It remains to be seen how Boston would navigate the trade protections involved with Ullmark’s contract, as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner has a 16-team no-trade list.

And even if the Bruins find a suitor that Ullmark signs off on, the actual return for a No. 1 goalie is a difficult thing to gauge in today’s NHL. 

Some draft capital would be a welcome addition in any potential Ullmark deal, beyond the obvious cap savings that come with moving his $5 million off the books.

But could Don Sweeney find a way to bring in an impact forward in any projected Ullmark swap?

A cost-controlled forward with term is likely out of the question. But what about a pending restricted free agent like Martin Necas, who may be priced out of Carolina’s budget this offseason?

Speaking on his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mapped out a potential Ullmark-for-Necas deal, adding that the Bruins previously had discussions with Carolina on a trade that involved their goalie.  

“I do believe the Bruins and the Hurricanes talked about an Ullmark deal,” Friedman said. “Now, I don’t know if it involved Necas. But I do think they talked about something. … Number one, it has to be recognized that Ullmark would have to be able to go there. I don’t know where Carolina is or is not on his [no-trade] list. But I do believe it’s something these two teams talked about.

“I do think it’s likely [Necas] gets moved,” Friedman added. “I just think that him and the Hurricanes don’t see each other in the same value. But we’ll see how it all works out. I mean, on paper, that makes sense to me, but just talking on paper. I think there’s a lot of teams that are going to be looking at Necas and trying to find out what he wants. He’s a good player, and Carolina’s gonna have some options here.”

Even though goalies Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov remain under contract with Carolina next season, the case can be made that the Hurricanes need an upgrade at that position after another underwhelming playoff run. 

Andersen sported an .895 save percentage over 10 playoff games, while Kochetkov didn’t fare much better in his lone playoff outing — coughing up three goals on 25 shots against the Rangers on May 9.

Again, a potential deal involving Ullmark would need to get approved by the veteran goalie if Carolina is on his no-trade list.

But Carolina is a contending team on the East coast that could carve out a featured role for Ullmark. There’s a lot to like about that landing spot for him, as opposed to a rebuilding team or a franchise out west. 

There is some risk involved in sending a proven netminder like Ullmark to another contender in the East like Carolina. But if the return is an high-end forward like Necas, it might be a risk worth taking for Boston. 

If the Bruins are prioritizing speed up front this offseason, Necas stands as a slam-dunk target — even if the 25-year-old forward might be better suited on the wing, rather than at center. 

One of the most gifted skaters in the NHL, Necas ranked in the 97th percentile of NHL players in top skating speed last season and was in the 99th percentile of speed bursts over 20 miles per hour, according to the NHL EDGE puck and player tracker data. 

Necas’ wheels allow him to be a game-changer in transition, especially when it comes to crafting easy zone entries for his team.

But that speed also gives him the ability to do damage on the forecheck and put opposing skaters on their heels, with the Czech forward recording 124 points (52 goals, 72 assists) over the last two seasons (159 games). 

Necas is the type of high-upside, skilled forward that the Bruins should be looking to add to their foundation in 2024, even if there are some questions about his overall game.

The 2017 first-round pick isn’t exactly graded as a strong defensive forward, while limited reps down the middle might be a byproduct of those D-zone lapses and poor face-off numbers (41.5 percent in his career).

Martin Necas is not graded very high in most defensive metrics, even on a stingy roster like Carolina’s. (Data via JFreshHockey and Patrick Bacon)

But even if Necas projects as more of a top-six wing than a proven first-line center, his skillset would be coveted on a team like Boston that lacks some firepower up front. 

There are several hurdles standing in the way of a potential Necas deal for Boston, especially when it comes to Ullmark’s protections, outbidding other potential suitors, and carving out a new contract for the gifted forward.

But swapping a valuable asset like Ullmark while bolstering an area of need up front is the type of move that Sweeney and his staff should be weighing in what could be a transformative offseason for the Bruins.