Rumors continue to swirl around Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas, who will become a restricted free agent.
Our collaborator Pierre LeBrun suggests that the price asked by the Hurricanes for Necas’ services is so high that some teams are considering presenting him with a hostile offer.
Hostile offers are, however, rare in the world of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens and Hurricanes have been involved in the last two.
In 2019, CH awarded a contract to Sebastian Aho which the Hurricaines matched. Then, two years later, the former Whalers came to an agreement with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and the Habs then decided not to match the offer.
The value of Necas’ new contract will determine the compensation that could be obtained by the Hurricanes. According to CapFriendlythe Hurricanes would receive a 2nd round pick if Necas signs a contract worth between US$2.29 and $4.58 million annually, 1st and 3rd round picks if the contract pays between $4.58 and $6.87 million and 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks if the contract pays between $6.87 and $9.16 million.
Necas scored 24 goals and 19 assists in 77 games last season and is expected to get a substantial salary increase after earning $3 million in 2023-24. Drafted 12th overall in 2017, he reached the 20-goal mark in each of his last two seasons.
LeBrun also reported last week that the Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets were interested in the services of the 25-year-old Czech forward.
Waddell wants to give Merzlikins another chance
The Columbus Blue Jackets have tried to trade Elvis Merzlikins in the past, but it now seems certain that the goaltender will not leave the Ohio capital.
This is what new president and general manager Don Waddell suggested. Merzlikins is under contract until 2026-2027 and pockets $5.4 million per year.
Waddell believes the arrival of a new management team will erase the past and give Merzlikins a fresh start.
Merzlikins requested a trade in January after slipping behind Spencer Martin and Daniil Tarasov in the team’s goaltending hierarchy. He ultimately played in 41 games, maintaining a 13-17-8 record with a 3.45 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. He had a 7-18-2 record with a .876 goals-against average and a 4.23 save percentage the previous campaign.
Adams does not rule out the idea of buying out Skinner’s contract
All options are on the table when it comes to Buffalo Sabers forward Jeff Skinner, club general manager Kevyn Adams said.
Adams did not completely reject the idea of buying out Skinner’s contract, which is due to pocket $9 million per season until 2026-2027.
Skinner scored 24 goals and 22 assists in 74 games last season, after scoring at least 30 goals in the previous two campaigns. He also reached the plateau of 1,000 career games during the last season. Note that he has never taken part in a playoff match in 1006 games since the start of his career.
Buying out Skinner’s contract would save the Sabers $7.56 million in 2024-25, $4.56 million in 2025-26 and $2.56 million in 2026-27. His salary would then count for $2.24 million per season from 2027-2028 until 2029-2030.
Skinner has 357 goals and 313 assists in his career with the Hurricanes and Sabres.
