NHL Network: David Pagnotta and EJ Hradek on NHL Tonight when asked about Carolina Hurricanes pending RFA Martin Necas and who could be interested.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Kathryn Tappen: “A lot of eyes are on the Carolina Hurricanes and all the players that you know have to be signed, restricted free agent Martin Necas. What are you hearing about him and what teams might be interested in him?”
Pagnotta: “There’s a lot. A lot of teams, at least internally, that are putting him on their radar, him on their radars as a target to pursue once those conversations get going.
So the Carolina Hurricanes certainly love this player. They’re going to have a conversation with his agent about what an extension may look like. And speaking to some people around the league, if he does go full term, you’re looking at $7, $7.5 million on an AAV. That seems to be the consensus amongst some other teams out there and their belief of what he may end up getting.
But, but this is a player that is going to draw interest. His father might have spoken a little too freely with some of the media overseas about his desire to have an expanded role. More responsibility. More on the power play. More five on five. And quite frankly, under Rod Brind’Amour system, there’s some question marks as to whether or not he’ll be able to really exploit his talents in that regard.
So there are teams that have him again on their radar, on their target list. Seattle’s on there, Nashville, Montreal, the Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames as well. There are a number of teams that are going to give Eric Tulsky and the staff in Carolina a call and see if they can pry him out of Carolina.”
EJ Hradek: “Yeah, I’ll tell you what he’s electric. He has got electric skills. I mean, now we’ve talked about the Rangers and some of their players and when you’re trying to win, I think you need a mix of players. And if you already have a team that has, you know, some, some more physical players or some good size, maybe a guy like Marty Necas comes in there and gives you that skill element.”
Dave Reid: “What are you giving up to get him?”
Hradek: “Yeah, that’s true, because…”
Pagnotta: “It’s gonna be pricey.”
Reid: “It’s gonna be very pricey. And you know, I always think of a guy who ahh, he doesn’t fit in to the system in Carolina. Well Scott Niedermeyer really didn’t fit into the system in New Jersey and could he even gotten more points, more points means more money. More money means, doesn’t mean Stanley Cups. It doesn’t mean winning teams.
So I always think Hmmm, you know, you’re in a really good spot. You got a really good team. You know what, if you’re that good, you will force them to put you on the power play. It’s just interesting listening and then like, Man, oh, man, it’s a tough place to leave when you’re, you know, you’re really a couple players away.”
Pagnotta: “And there’s obviously some, some discussion, has been already with respect to Vancouver and Filip Hronek and perhaps that being a fit with the amount of free agents that they have on the blue line in Raleigh. That may be a potential to see if they end up going towards moving him for defenseman.
Versus, and they’re just starting the conversations with a lot of their free agents as well. Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, so that might be an opportunity for them to offset that on the back end if they do move Necas out.”