The Buffalo Sabres should be in the market for an impact top-six forward after dealing winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan, but the opening weeks of free agency did not provide GM Kevyn Adams with an opportunity to replace Peterka’s production, and with the two-year deal signed earlier this month with defenseman Bowen Byram, Adams will have to try to acquire a scoring forward with younger players, prospects, and/or draft picks.
Colorado forward Martin Necas is someone the Sabres were rumored to have interest in last summer, before he signed a two-year bridge deal with Carolina before he was traded mid-season to the Avalanche in the Mikko Rantanen deal. The 26-year-old ended up fitting in nicely in place of Rantanen, and ended last season with a career-high 83 points (27 goals, 56 assists).
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The issue for both the Avs and a team potentially trading for Necas is his willingness to sign a contract extension a year out from unrestricted free agency. For Colorado, it looks to be playing out like Rantanen 2.0, since they have to reserve room to extend Cale Makar next summer, and likely would not be able to afford to re-sign Necas and the reigning Norris Trophy winner. The other dilemma for the Avs is trading a key cog in their Stanley Cup aspirations for the usual return of a rental.
For Buffalo, would they be willing to trade significant assets for Necas if there was no guarantee that he would re-sign there?
What Would It Cost?
GM Kevyn Adams would only trade for Necas as a pure rental if the Sabres were in the race for a playoff spot and had a good chance to snap their 14-year drought. The cost at that point would be a first-round pick (top-10 protected), a prospect with promise like Noah Ostlund or Devon Levi, and another piece (an additional draft pick, a secondary prospect, or NHL depth forward).
If the Sabres had confidence that they could extend Necas or if they could sign him outright, than the prospect would have to be converted into a young NHL forward with promise (Zach Benson or Jiri Kulich) along with the first and another piece.
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