Exploring a New York Rangers Trade for Carolina Hurricanes Forward Martin Necas

With the height of the summer upon us, the news in the world of the New York Rangers is incredibly dry. So, it's the time of year to have some fun with wild theories and ideas of acquisitions for the Blueshirts. To start the summer fun, I wanted to explore the restricted free agent on the hockey world's lips as he waits for an arbitration hearing, Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas.

Necas has been in the rumor mill for a long time since his father interviewed him in a Czech newspaper, talking about how the player was unhappy with the limited ice time and poor quality of linemates that he was playing with after being surpassed on the Hurricanes depth chart. He's been forced to play right-wing in Carolina but is a natural center, and the combination of issues has led to speculation that the winger wants a fresh start away from the organization that drafted him at 13 overall back in 2017.

Necas' arbitration hearing is filed for later in the summer, but the Czech forward wants a fresh start in a new city under a new coach. With that clarified, the rumors surrounding this player have roared all summer. Apparently, Carolina had a deal fall through for the fourth-overall pick on the draft floor that involved Martin Necas, and there have been conversations with almost every team in the league, so why not the Rangers?

For one, Carolina would need a top-six piece back, and the Rangers don't have any spares. Necas is good, but it's not worth losing Lafreniere, Kreider, or Panarin for his services. There would need to be another team involved from which the Rangers could acquire a top-six forward and then go to Carolina for Necas, but at that point, the Blueshirts might just be better off going to a different source for their new top-six forward.

Necas' contract demands are also exceptionally high. Somewhere in the $7-8 million range is the rumor surrounding the player, and New York can only afford that with first moving Jacob Trouba, but that is a kettle of fish that no one wants to dive into right now. Necas' contract demands would make this problematic, and given that he scored just 53 points last year, it might be high.

Remember that the Carolina system is designed to kill offensive talent. They rely on point shots, deflections, and rebounds, so individual talent like Necas is swallowed up in the simplification of the game. Necas' explosive speed, relentless hands, and high hockey IQ would make him a much better fit next to Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad on the Blueshirt's top line, haunting his former hockey club.

Please make no mistake: This is a player with the skillset of an actual NHL star trapped in a system that forces him to reign in his talents to fit the system better. However, the idea of Martin Necas and Chris Kreider blasting away from the chasing pack on countless 2-on-0s set up with rink-long passes that they win races to will please many. Is it worth the investment?