Carolina Hurricanes' Martin Necas Is the NHL's Next Superstar

The Hurricanes have found the bona fide superstar they needed to make them a true threat for the Stanley Cup.

Just a few short months ago, the Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas was on an expiring deal. Despite his relatively young age (25) and status as a high-skill forward, there were doubts about where he’d be playing.

In the 2024 offseason, plenty of rumors surfaced of Necas’ availability on the trade market. Coming off of a non-Herculean 53-point season in 77 games, there was reason to think he might be dealt. However, he signed a two-year bridge deal in Carolina ($6.5 million cap hit) and ended the drama.

Nobody knew it at the time, but this paved the way for today. In 2024-25 so far, he is at the top of the NHL’s scoring iceberg. He was the first player to reach the 40-point mark. On the same night, he was the first to reach 41, too.

Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Let’s dissect Necas’ game a bit, including how he’s scoring so much, why it’s impressive, and whether or not he can maintain his pace.

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Necas’ Superhuman Upside Is Finally Coming Through

To me, what made Necas an intriguing trade target was the fact that he seemed totally undervalued. Again, he was coming off a season with just 0.69 points per game (P/G) as a 25-year-old. On the surface, you don’t pay the big bucks for this. But anyone who has paid attention to him knows this is misleading.

Let’s just assess him as a player. At his core, he’s an incredibly skilled forward with 99th-percentile skating ability and a knack for creating offense, especially through passing. This didn’t translate to elite production last season, but the signs were there. It’s why he was such an exciting player to be on the trade block.

Late last spring on a global display, Necas showed a preview of the player he’d become this season at the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey World Championship. It feels like some teams didn’t watch Necas’ gold medal-winning Czechia team, considering he’s still in Carolina. Coming off a remarkable tournament that showcased his best abilities, the lack of all-out pursuit for Necas in the NHL offseason was, well, surprising.

Here are some clips from perhaps his most impressive game, a 7-3 win versus an unbeaten (8-0-0) Sweden club. He posted a goal and three assists to send Czechia off to the gold-medal round. Clips are courtesy of the IIHF Worlds YouTube page:

Necas (No. 98) Puts on a Clinic vs. Sweden

On the ice for five goals in his favor and zero against him, Necas had the game of a lifetime against a no-joke Swedish team (one that allowed just 10 goals in their first eight games). He was flying down the ice all day, making entering the offensive zone look routine and even breaking ankles along the way. He was constantly a threat with the puck on his stick and made several high-end plays. To have the game he did with gold on the line is superstar stuff.