The Daily: Necas Drawing Heavy Interest; ‘Canes Like Ullmark?

With marquee players Steven Stamkos, Sam Reinhart and  Jake Guentzel highlighting the class, the annual July 1 unrestricted free agent frenzy promises to keep us all entertained. But it’s possible none of those UFA stars will generate as much buzz as the Martin Necas Sweepstakes has created.

David Pagnotta of Fourth Period reported 12 teams have inquired about the Carolina forward Necas who wants to be traded. He wants to go to a team willing to expand his opportunity.

The intriguing aspect of Necas is he 25, and has generated 52 goals over the past two seasons. Necas plays with flair, and believes he can produce even more if given more power play time. He averaged more than 17 minutes per game in the regular-season, but was down to the 15-16 minute range in his last three playoff teams.

Calgary, Nashville, Seattle, Philadelphia, Montreal, New Jersey and Vancouver are believed to be among the interested teams. Given Yzerman’s thorough approach, we can guess that he has called Carolina to see what it would take to land restricted Necas. Reports say he could be moved fairly soon.

The Hurricanes want plenty for Necas. The Hurricanes appreciate Necas’ talent. Plus, they have Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce and Jordan Martinook among their list of UFAs. Carolina has to get a strong return for Necas.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Moritz Seider is following in a tradition of top Detroit player showing remarkable durability. Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio and Nicklas Lidstrom were other players who were able to stay in the lineup while logging big minutes.

Recently signed Czechia free agent Jakub Rychlovsky adds some quickness to the Red Wings’ roster.

Paywall story: Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere  may land a three-year deal in the range of $4.5-$5 million in the free agent market. Would Steve Yzerman give him three years?  We know he wants to re-sign him. Detroit Hockey Now looks at whether the Red Wings have a shot at persuading him to stay.  He should stay because the Red Wings have given him a good opportunity to show what he can do. If you want to subscribe, click here.  To receive a $10 discount, use the promo code kevin10.

Red Wings Offseason

FanDuel has the Red Wings listed at +4100 to win the 2024-25 Stanley Cup.  Thirteen teams have longer odds. Five Atlantic Division teams – Florida Panthers (+1000), Toronto Maple Leafs (+1600), Tampa Bay Lightning (+1800), Boston Bruins (+2200) and Ottawa Senators (+3300) — have better odds.

Hockey Now Network

Chicago: Nate Brown revisits what be a reasonable timeline for rebuilding the Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado: Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog will appear in the upcoming NHL docuseries on Amazon Prime. Colorado Avalanche. 

New Jersey: James Nichols writes that the Carolina Hurricanes could be the biggest obstacle to the Devils’ landing Boston goalie Linus Ullmark. New Jersey Devils.

San Jose: Sources say Ryan Warsofsky is the frontrunner for the Sharks’ head coaching job. Former Detroit coach Jeff Blashill is also in the mix. San Jose Sharks.