Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas recently shared that his decision to re-sign with the team this offseason was uncertain…
Speaking with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in August, as highlighted in Friedman’s 32 Thoughts column on August 25, Necas admitted he was “50-50” on staying with the Hurricanes.
He expressed frustration with his performance last season and had differences with head coach Rod Brind’amour regarding on-ice decisions.
Necas reflected, “I wasn’t sure. There was a lot of discussion between us and Carolina. It was a 50/50 decision. I didn’t have the best season and wasn’t happy. But we worked things out and agreed to stay for two more years.”
Necas emphasized his connection to Carolina, saying, “I feel like it’s my home. I was drafted here, I’ve played here for five seasons. In the end, I’m happy to be back and eager to prove that I’m better than I was last season.
I’m excited.” On July 29, Necas signed a two-year, $13 million contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million.
This decision followed a season where he recorded 24 goals and 29 assists for 53 points over 77 games—a notable decline from the 71 points he achieved the previous year.
Necas also acknowledged that other teams, including the Winnipeg Jets and the Columbus Blue Jackets, showed interest during the offseason. “I’ll be honest, there were a lot of interested teams,” he told Friedman.
Lastly, Necas addressed the need to strengthen his relationship with coach Brind’Amour, particularly regarding his ice time, which decreased by over a minute last season due to differing playing styles.
“I think we will make it work, and we have to,” Necas remarked. “It’s important for us. I need to give him a reason to give me more ice time.
We’ve always been good off the ice, and I need to be a player he can trust. I’m aiming for a bigger role and definitely want to play more, but I know I have to prove it on the ice, and I’ve already discussed this with Rod.”
