The ink was barely dry before Martin Necas hit the ice for practice on Thursday. He had just signed his new eight-year, $11.5 million per season contract at Family Sports Center.
“Super excited and happy that we got this done. I’m excited for the times ahead now, and now I can just focus on playing hockey, winning hockey games, and do whatever it takes to bring a Cup back here to Colorado,” Necas said.
The 26-year-old is happy to get settled in Denver now that he has signed a long-term deal. He said he knew it was coming, but found out Thursday morning that it was official.
“I feel like it wasn’t super tough, and I’m glad management gave me some time to figure out, and for me to decide where I want to basically spend my next eight years of life, not just me but my family as well,” Necas said about how negotiations were processed. “Super happy, and I’ll be happy to be here for eight more years and call this home.”
It is significant to solidify the deal this early in the season, as his current contract expires at the end of this season.
“It’s always good when you can get them done as quick as possible. It just takes all the conjecture out of it and lets you focus on the ice, and what your needs are and things of that sort, but they’re not easy deals to do.
“A lot of work went into this the last few weeks. But credit to Marty and Michael Deutsch, once we were determined to try and get this over the finish line, it was smooth sailing, and it got done relatively quick,” Avs GM Chris MacFarland said.
It’s a relief not only for Necas but also for head coach Jared Bednar. One of his top forwards can now focus entirely on winning games without the distraction of contract negotiations.
“It’s just something else off the table that we can just keep concentrating on hockey, and probably more so for Marty than me,” Bednar said. “Players have things going on in their lives that can be distracting at times. They’re people, like anybody else; there’s lots going on. If it was weighing on him at all, certainly hasn’t shown on the ice, but you certainly don’t want it to get to that point. He wanted to stay. We wanted to have him, and really glad we were able to get it done.”
Necas will become the Avs’ second-highest paid player next season, behind Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million per season). But Cale Makar’s contract expires after the 2026-27 season, and he will likely have comparable figures to the top two forwards.
