Martin Necas

Necas notched 24 goals and 53 points over 77 regular-season games last year following his 71-point breakout in 2022-23. He plummeted from 43 assists to 29, slipped from 26 power-play points to 13 and dropped from 28 goals to 24 despite averaging a career-high 3.00 shots. Necas only had seven tallies and six helpers in 27 contests to conclude the 2023-24 campaign before he got back on track during the playoffs, accumulating nine points in 11 appearances. The 25-year-old forward has been the subject of trade speculation throughout the offseason. Regardless of where he plays in 2024-25, Necas should improve his statistics from last season, even if he doesn't fully replicate his 2022-23 success.

Necas was solid over his first three full campaigns, recording between 36 and 41 points in each from 2019-20 through 2021-22. He found another level last year, contributing 28 goals and 71 points in 82 contests. Part of his success came from him shooting the puck far more than ever before. Necas' 11.7 shooting percentage in 2022-23 was slightly below his career average of 12, but he jumped to 2.93 shots per game from just 2.04 during the prior campaign. He also had an expanded role on the power play, jumping from an average of 1:39 of ice time with the man advantage in 2021-22 to 3:03 last season, and he took full advantage of that opportunity by recording 26 power-play points compared to just four in the previous year. It is still possible that he'll see a slight dip this season, but Necas shouldn't regress back to his pre-2022-23 offensive numbers.

Those expecting a breakout from Necas last season not only didn't get it, but his performance was actually worse than two years ago. After posting 14 goals and 41 points in 53 games in 2020-21, Necas finished with 14 goals and 40 points in 78 games in 2021-22. Essentially, Necas produced the same exact stat line despite playing in 25 additional games. He was also quiet in the postseason, scoring no goals and managing five helpers in 14 games. There were rumblings Carolina put Necas on the trade block in the offseason but nothing ever came of it. Instead, he inked a two-year, $6 million deal with the team, where he will return for his fourth full season and be available at a cheaper rate in fantasy drafts than this time a year ago.

While his raw production was fairly flat compared to his rookie campaign, Necas' play took a big step forward in 2020-21. The 22-year-old saw spikes in his points per game, plus-minus rating and faceoff win percentage as he took on a larger role for the Hurricanes, and he seems secure in a top-six role and a key spot on the power play headed into 2021-22. If he continues on his current developmental trajectory, a 20-goal, 70-point season for Necas seems well within reach.

Necas played well as a rookie in 2019-20, collecting 16 goals, 20 assists and nine power-play points in 64 games. The 21-year-old should see a significant jump in ice time during his sophomore campaign, as he'll be locked into a full-time, top-six role as well as a spot on the Hurricanes' second man-advantage unit. Necas has all the tools to produce at or above a 20- goal, 50-point pace while chipping in double-digit points on the power play in 2020-21, making him worthy of a late-round pick for fantasy managers looking to add forward depth during this year's drafts.

Necas got a cup of coffee at the NHL level last season, recording a goal and an assist over seven games for Carolina. He was then sent down to AHL Charlotte, where the Czech pivot delivered a respectable 52 points in 64 games. The Hurricanes' 2017 first-rounder will push for a permanent spot with the big club in camp, but it won't be handed to him given the team's substantial forward depth. While Necas could be worth a flier in redraft leagues if he makes the team, there's a good chance he'll get sent down for another year of AHL seasoning.

After returning to HC Kometa Brno in the Czech league last year, where he scored 17 points in 24 games (nine goals, eight assists), Necas went on to play in the IIHF World Junior Championships in December, tying for the tournament lead in scoring with 11 points (three goals, eight assists). The Canes are currently pretty thin down the middle, so the team won't hesitate to promote Necas to a full-time roster spot with the big club once it feels he's ready. At the Canes' development camp in June, Necas was noticeably bigger and oozed confidence, playing on a line with this year's second overall draft pick, Andrei Svechnikov - a hint of what a future line combination might look like in Carolina. Necas is certainly a player to keep an eye on for fantasy purposes.