NHL Trade Rumors: Insider suggests Montreal Canadiens could trade $2,485,000 defenseman for Martin Necas 

By ARJUN B

Modified Jun 01, 2024 03:22 GMT

An intriguing NHL trade rumor has emerged suggesting the Montreal Canadiens could deal defenseman Arber Xhekaj to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Martin Necas.

The speculation comes from NHL insider Jean-Charles Lajoie, who proposed Xhekaj and a draft pick as a potential package for the Hurricanes' 23-year-old restricted free agent.

Xhekaj, with a three-year, $2,485,000 contract signed back in 2021, has made quite an impact as a standout rookie player for the Canadiens this season. The physical 6-foot-4 blueliner brought energy and a mean streak while posting 10 points in 44 regular season games.

However, Lajoie acknowledged he would still make the deal despite his fondness for Xhekaj.

Necas has established himself as a key player in Carolina's offensive unit by achieving over 50 points in the past two seasons. Given the Hurricanes' financial constraints, it might be logical to consider trading the free agent.

Acquiring Necas would provide a boost to Montreal's rebuild as they look to add more speed and offense. Carolina will also aim to get good value in return for the talented young forward.

Martin Necas discusses trade rumors out of Carolina

Martin Necas may be caught up in trade rumors, but the Carolina Hurricanes forward isn’t letting it distract him during the offseason:

"We'll see what's going to happen," the 25-year-old said via NHL.com. "I don't really care right now.

"What's going to happen is going to happen. My agent is going to deal with that. We're going to figure it out. Now I'm going to celebrate this medal and I'm going to enjoy it for a while."

Necas was instrumental in guiding the Czech national team to victory at the 2024 IIHF World Championship against Switzerland in the final.

Looking back on this accomplishment, Necas said:

"It's hard to describe it right now. As a young kid here in Czechia, you always dream about two things since you were young. 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 crowd, this is something I would consider definitely all of our highlight of our career. It's something we will remember forever."

Necas joined Team Czechia after the Hurricanes were eliminated in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the New York Rangers. When asked about his mid-tournament arrival, 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 if I'll be playing [in the] playoffs. I wasn't thinking about that. There was no doubt in my head that I wouldn't go."

With Martin Necas a restricted free agent this summer, his future in Carolina remains uncertain.