Martin Necas Contract is Key to Flyers, Blackhawks Title Hopes Amid NHL Trade Rumors

For many, the name Martin Necas may not ring a bell but for the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks, among others, he may be one of the most coveted trade pieces in the NHL this offseason.

The 25-year-old Carolina Hurricanes center played in 77 games this season, scored 24 goals and 29 assists for a total of 53 points in just over 17 minutes of ice time per game.

Amid his desire to play and contribute more than he has had the opportunity to with the Eastern Conference contender, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported there is an outside chance that a team could use a rare offer sheet in an attempt to acquire Necas.

The utilization of an offer sheet, if accepted, would result in the team receiving Necas to hand over a first, second, and third-round draft pick, a bounty that not every team has available or would want to give up.

Still, enough teams are interested in acquiring Necas, with the draft capital to make the deal happen. Among them? The Flyers and Blackhawks, two teams that once again underwhelmed this season among franchise rebuilds.

Both could use a young player with seven years of experience playing for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. So could the Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and the as-of-yet-unnamed Utah expansion team.

That he is listed as a center but rarely plays that position, instead opting to play on the wing, only makes him more intriguing. He becomes even more appealing to teams that may not need him at his given position but could use a player with his youth and experience playing for a legitimate contender to bolster their own rosters.

Necas could benefit from being bigger, and could stand to take more shots on his own rather than facilitating offense through passes, but he is an excellent skater and can dish the puck to his teammates to set up scores.

That he can play any position on the front line makes him that much more intriguing an add for teams that need more at that position on the ice and a legitimate young, mostly proven star to build around.

The Flyers and Blackhawks, and any of the other fringe teams that are just one or two pieces away from establishing momentum and building a contender would be lucky to bring a selfless, potential leader to their locker rooms and a big, offensive facilitator to the ice.

Necas is the type of player that creates championship contenders and with fans in Philly and Chicago growing tired of the mediocrity that those two organizations have trotted out in recent years, those front offices would be wise to find out what it will take to bring him on-board.