Canucks, Bruins Interested In Acquiring Same Player
On the NHL trade market, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks can engage in a bidding war for the same player.
It’s no secret that the Bruins want to become younger and add more scoring through the NHL trade deadline and/or free agency markets.
Last Wednesday, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told the reporters, “We are in a situation where we can look to add to our core group of guys.” “You know, we’re going to be aggressive to complement what we have in certain areas right now.”
The Bruins are already being linked to some major names in the NHL trade market and have $20.5 million in salary cap space to do just that. Martin Necas, a centre for the Carolina Hurricanes, is one of those athletes in demand. After serving out the final year of a two-year, $6 million ($3 million AAV) contract, the 25-year-old, who was selected 12th overall in the 2017 NHKL Entry Draft, will become a restricted free agency. Necas and the Hurricanes are reportedly at odds over his worth to the group, and he may be among the first players dealt by Eric Tulsky, the team’s new acting general manager.
The Boston Bruins and the Hurricanes had previously discussed a trade involving Necas and Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark, according to Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, who spoke with 32 Thoughts Podcast co-host Jeff Marek just before Don Waddell announced his resignation as the team’s president and general manager this past Friday.
According to Friedman, “I do think the Bruins and the Hurricanes talked about an Ullmark deal.” I’m not sure if Necas was involved, though. However, I believe they discussed something. First and foremost, it must be acknowledged that Ullmark would need to be able to travel there. I’m not sure if Carolina is on his [no-trade] list or not. Nonetheless, I think these two teams discussed it.
I do believe that [Necas] will probably be moved. I simply believe that he and the Hurricanes have different values about each other. We’ll see how it all turns out, though. Well, that makes sense to me when written down, but that’s just paper speak. Numerous teams, in my opinion, will be observing Necas and attempting to ascertain his desires. He is a talented player, and Carolina will have some choices in this situation.
But Friedman also thinks the Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks, the team they defeated in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, would engage in a bidding war for Necas. According to Friedman, negotiations between Vancouver and Carolina regarding a trade involving current Canucks centre Elias Pettersson included the 6-foot-2, 200-pound centre.
Remember when Vancouver spoke with Carolina during all the turmoil surrounding Pettersson’s potential signing or not? Friedman stated, “That arrangement included Necas. “I wonder whether Vancouver and Necas can work out a deal. Carolina needs to add a lot of D players, so what if they consider that someone like (Filip) Hronek would be a better fit? That’s the kind of stuff I’m now considering.
Necas recorded 24 goals and 29 assists for 53 points in 77 games following a career-high in goals (28), assists (43), and points with 71 in 82 games during the 2022–23 regular season. Necas scored four goals and provided five assists in 11 postseason games during his successful run in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the Hurricanes’ 15-game journey to Game 4 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, that came after four and three goals, respectively. Necas is presently competing for Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Championships in Prague, alongside forward Pavel Zacha and star winger David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins. Necas helped Czechia advance to the final against Switzerland on Sunday with a goal and three assists in a 7-3 victory against Sweden on Saturday.
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