Martin Necas in Montreal: major update

Sebastian Aho and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. What do these two players have in common? They were both involved in contentious negotiations and strategies.

In 2019, Marc Bergevin made a hostile offer, as they are called, to Sebastian Aho. Don Waddell struggled with this approach and made his displeasure known. He then had to sign Aho for a higher amount than anticipated, probably due to this offer.

In fact, Waddell had such a hard time swallowing this decision by the CH that he returned the favor to Bergevin two years later. He made a hostile offer to Jesperi Kotkaniemi. An offer so hostile that Bergevin chose not to match it and instead accepted draft picks as compensation.

That's the brief history lesson. Now let's move on to the current situation of the CH. Many fans hope to see the team become competitive as early as next year. Some see a very promising future, but is it already time to make a big acquisition?

For instance, Renaud Lavoie from TVA Sports reports that Martin Necas of the Carolina Hurricanes might be an option. The 6-foot-2-inch, 189-pound player could be available due to the organization's challenging salary cap situation. Moreover, it seems that Necas would be interested in changing teams.

Lavoie mentions on this topic:

The question to ask is: did Waddell's offer to Kotkaniemi leave a mark? Will it influence Hughes' decision and the direction of the CH to set the record straight with the Hurricanes' GM and seize the opportunity to pursue Necas?

Hughes will have to consider if the Canadiens are at a crossroads and if it's time to take the next step in this famous rebuild. Much like Gorton did in New York with the Rangers, the process could significantly accelerate with the acquisition of a player of the Czech forward's caliber.

Necas, 25 years old, a first-round pick (12th overall) in 2017, has amassed 243 points in 362 NHL games. He finished last season with a total of 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games, but had ended the previous one with an impressive performance of 28 goals and 71 points in 82 games.

Crédit: Habs et LNH
Acquisition de Martin Necas par Kent Hughes et le Canadien? Du nouveau