Avalanche sign forward Necas to 8-year extension

Forward Martin Necas will remain with the Colorado Avalanche after signing an eight-year extension, the club announced Thursday.

Getting a new deal done for Necas was a priority with the 26-year-old in the second season of a two-year bridge deal that was worth $6.5 million annually. Necas’ new contract, which starts next season, will see him earn $11.5 million annually, a source told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.

The source also said that Necas will have $60.4 million in signing bonuses while having a full no-trade clause in the first seven years of the deal.

Necas signed his current contract in July 2024 when he was playing with the team that drafted him, the Carolina Hurricanes. He was in his strongest season before the Hurricanes included him in a package in the first of two trades involving Mikko Rantanen last season. A second trade would later see the Hurricanes move Rantanen to the Avs’ Central Division rival Dallas Stars.

Receiving Necas in return created the belief that the Avs could use him as Rantanen’s replacement as their top-line right winger. Necas’ arrival saw him score 11 goals and 28 points in 30 games for the Avs as part of a season that saw him finish with 27 goals and a career-high 83 points.

This season has seen the 26-year-old continue to build upon what he accomplished last season. His seven goals are second on the Avs while his 13 points are third. Another indication of his importance to the Avs has been the fact that his 21:14 in average ice time is second among Colorado’s forwards.

Re-signing Necas now means the Avalanche have nine players who are under contract for more than three years. It’s a list that includes Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews, Brock Nelson and Mackenzie Blackwood. Meanwhile, two-time defending Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar has two years left on his current contract.

Necas’ contributions have also played a significant role in the Avs coming into Thursday in a five-way tie with the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Utah Mammoth for the most points in the NHL.