What does the future hold for Martin Nečas?

The Colorado Avalanche offseason feels incomplete.

While the summer is still young and there’s plenty of time for the Colorado Avalanche and their top right winger Martin Nečas to find common ground on a contract extension, there are numerous rumors percolating wondering about the long term fit between both parties.

First of all, let’s acknowledge this, of course, is stating the obvious that either Colorado needs to sign Nečas or consider moving him. It doesn’t take an insider to figure that out as the Avalanche can’t let the primary return for Mikko Rantanen and their top line right wing walk for nothing next summer. But it’s reading between the lines and the frequency of these comments which hints towards a situation brewing much like we saw with Rantanen.

The other issue at hand is the roughly $5 million in cap space generated from the Charlie Coyle trade and then not replacing him on the roster which has indicated the Avalanche front office isn’t done with the offseason. Are the two situations related? Some late summer veteran signings are always on the table but the amount of cap room and roster holes, including not replacing Joel Kiviranta on the third line, indicate there might be something bigger in the works. It takes two to tango, though.

Back to Nečas, it’s true the Avalanche often get their work done quietly and an expensive long-term contract takes time to negotiate and iron out all the details but there was always an uncomfortable elephant in the room suggesting his stay in Colorado may only be temporary. Based on one projection from CapWages, Nečas is expected to sign a seven year deal at $9.11 million per year. That sounds fairly reasonable for a player who finished top 20 in the NHL in scoring with 83 points. But, are the Avalanche prepared to make that type of commitment? Also, is the ask from said player within the reasonable realm as he’s staring down impending unrestricted free agency and a salary cap that’s projected to increase to $104 million next summer?

If there isn’t some common ground between the two parties at this point it’s unlikely to materialize as time goes on. After what transpired with Rantanen, minus the ten years of history and a Stanley Cup together, the Avalanche aren’t going to let a movable short-term asset linger on the roster. Expecting a top line player in return is going to be difficult, though, as there were limited options of players in the same contractual position when Colorado acquired Nečas in the first place and if the feeling around the league is that Nečas will be difficult to extend he’s going to be looked at as a rental with tempered return value. Is this potentially another move on the horizon to sell the idea that depth is more valuable than an expensive top line player?