STOCKHOLM — Martin Necas‘ The focus heading into this season is building on how he played for the Carolina Hurricanes last season, and not his contract.
Heading into the final season of a two-year, $6 million contract he signed on Aug. 9, 2022, with the possibility of becoming a restricted free agent next summer, Necas said no he is talking to the Hurricanes about his next deal, though. . But the 24-year-old forward isn’t worried about that.
“Maybe for the first time before my contract year I thought about it,” Necas said at the NHL European Player Media Tour last month. “Now, I feel like I’m a bit older, more experienced and I don’t really think about it. Whatever comes, comes.
“It’s just about me playing well and doing well for the team.”
Necas, the No. 12 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft by Carolina, did that last season. He set NHL career-highs with 28 goals, 43 assists and a team-leading 71 points while playing in all 82 regular-season games. That’s a significant jump after an unsatisfying 2021-22 season when, in the final year of his entry-level contract, he had 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 78 games. game.
“It was a nice bounce-back season, I would say, after a year that disappointed everyone,” Necas said. “I’m pumped to prove myself a little bit different than last season. I had a great summer (last offseason). I’m going to have a great summer again this year. , so be ready to take another step and be better.”
Video: The men of the Hurricanes 2023-24 outlook
Necas started last season strong with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in the first 11 games, allowing him to quickly put 2021-22 behind him. He went on to finish second on the Hurricanes in game-winning goals with five (behind Sebastian Ahonine) and tied David Pastrnak for the Boston Bruins for the NHL lead with four overtime goals.
Earning the trust of coach Rod Brind’Amour, Necas averaged an NHL career-high 18:25 of ice time, up two minutes from his average of 16:11 in 2021-22.
“I feel like confidence makes a big difference,” Necas said. “I came to camp, I felt good, and I started the season well. Got into the first power play, I played 6-on-5, overtime. I just felt confident and, mentally, I felt I got it. Much better and playing more at the same level, not as many ups and downs as before.”
Learning how to avoid dips in his game has been part of the maturation process for Necas.
“Especially for a young player to get the confidence from a coach, you have to be consistent and, if not, when you have important moments, you won’t play,” he said. “So, that’s one of the things I learned and tried to work with my mental coach last year and again this year to improve on that.”
Necas acknowledged that there is still room for growth in his game, especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 15 postseason games last season, but just one point (one assist) in his last five games, and the Hurricanes fell short of their goal in Stanley Cup by defeating the Florida Panthers in four games in the Eastern Conference Final.
“That’s another thing is I want to take the next step in the playoffs and be more of a leader there,” Necas said.
Necas is excited about the potential of the Hurricanes this season after they were without their core and additional defenseman. Dmitry Orlov (two years, $15.5 million) and beyond Michael Bunting (three years, $13.5 million), etc., as unrestricted free agents.
A lot can happen in the long run, but Necas believes Carolina winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006 feels like a realistic goal.
“Obviously, everybody wants to win, but, for us, we’ve been in the playoffs for five years in a row, we have a good team,” Necas said. “It’s up to us what we do. We have to start camp, start every game and just try to build our game until the playoffs. [so] that we can win the Cup.”