Flames could trade for Hurricanes forward Necas between now and Saturday: report

The Calgary Flames aren’t ready to contend just yet, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be looking to improve their roster this offseason.

Last summer, general manager Craig Conroy made his first big splash by going out and acquiring Yegor Sharangovich from the New Jersey Devils. The 25-year-old had struggled with consistency in his prior three NHL seasons but still had plenty of potential. The change of scenery paid dividends, as he managed 31 goals and 59 points in his first year with the Flames.

It appears that Conroy is looking to replicate the success of that trade, as, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, he has interest in Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Martin Necas deal materialize between now and Saturday,” Seravalli said. “Calgary’s on the list, man, and I think they’re trying for sure. He fits the exact profile of what the Flames have targeted to this point.”

Sounds like the Flames are one of the teams in on Martin Necas according to our NHL Insider @frank_seravalli

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— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) June 3, 2024

Necas, who is also 25, has struggled with consistency issues himself through five seasons with the Hurricanes. That said, his skill set is very apparent, shown most in 2022-23 when he had 28 goals and 71 points in 82 games.

Unlike the Devils with Sharangovich, the Hurricanes aren’t interested in moving Necas over frustration with him as a player. In fact, the most recent reports suggest they hope to keep him around. Doing so, however, could prove difficult, as he is currently a restricted free agent.

Despite some regression this past season with 24 goals and 53 points, Necas will undoubtedly earn a raise from his prior contract which carried a $3 million cap hit. He may wind up costing too much for the Hurricanes, who have several other players they will be looking to re-sign as well, including Jake Guentzel, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, Teuvo Teravainen, Stefan Noesen, and Jordan Martinook.

Should the Flames pull the trigger, they’ll have no real issues fitting him in from a cap perspective. While they still have a few pending free agents they need to decide on, they are currently set to have nearly $20 million in cap space this offseason, giving them plenty of room to work out a deal with Necas.

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