NHL Trade Rumors: Insider suggests Montreal Canadiens could trade $2,485,000 defenseman for Martin Necas
An intriguing NHL trade rumor has emerged claiming the Montreal Canadiens could move defenseman Arber Xhekaj to the Carolina Hurricanes for winger Martin Necas.
The speculation comes from NHL source Jean-Charles Lajoie, who mentioned Xhekaj and a draft selection as a potential package for the Hurricanes’ 23-year-old restricted free agent.
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Xhekaj, with a three-year, $2,485,000 contract inked back in 2021, has made quite an impact as a top rookie player for the Canadiens this season. The athletic 6-foot-4 blueliner contributed energy and a nasty streak while tallying 10 points in 44 regular season games.
However, Lajoie indicated he would still make the deal despite his liking for Xhekaj.
Necas has established himself as a major component in Carolina’s offensive unit by earning over 50 points in the past two seasons. Given the Hurricanes’ financial limits, it could be logical to consider dealing the free agent.
Acquiring Necas would provide a boost to Montreal’s reconstruction as they attempt to add more speed and offense. Carolina will also attempt to acquire decent value in return for the dynamic young forward.
Martin Necas analyzes trade speculations out of Carolina
Martin Necas may be caught up in trade speculations, but the Carolina Hurricanes forward isn’t letting anything distract him during the offseason:
“We’ll see what’s going to happen,” the 25-year-old remarked via NHL.com. “I don’t really care right now. “What’s going to happen is going to happen. My agency is going to deal with that. We’re going to work things out. Now I’m going to celebrate this medal and I’m going to enjoy it for a while.”
Necas was essential in bringing the Czech national team to win at the 2024 IIHF World Championship against Switzerland in the final.
Looking back on this feat, Necas said:
“It’s hard to convey it right now. As a young kid here in Czechia, you always fantasize about two things since you were small. One of them is winning the Stanley Cup, which didn’t happen obviously this year. It hasn’t happened yet. “But winning the World Championship at home, in front of our home audience, this is something I would consider undoubtedly all of our pinnacle of our career. It’s something we will remember forever.”
Necas joined Team Czechia after the Hurricanes were ousted in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the New York Rangers. When asked about his mid-tournament entrance, Necas said the decision was easy:
“Who cares? This is a thing that could only happen once in my life because you never know when it’s going to be back, and whether I’ll be playing [in the] playoffs. I wasn’t thinking about that. There was no doubt in my thinking that I wouldn’t attend.”
With Martin Necas a restricted free agent this summer, his future in Carolina remains unknown.