Carolina Hurricanes restricted free agent Martin Necas is one of the hottest names this offseason as he reportedly wants a change of scenery, but time is ticking for general manager Eric Tulsky to net a first-round pick in this year's draft, which starts on Friday. The Hurricanes have received a lot of interest, with the Buffalo Sabres seemingly very interested, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Tulsky refused to put a timeline on the decision.

“Teams are calling. We've been working hard on it,” Eric Tulsky said, via LeBrun. “I would say that's been one of my biggest focuses, trying to figure out where that's going to go. We've had a lot of interest. We've had a few offers that I would consider very serious. … Whether or not any of them get across the line remains to be seen.”

According to LeBrun, there is one team that is pretty close with the Hurricanes on the framework of a deal that would involve a first-round pick on Friday night if it goes through.

Despite Tulsky's comments, there does seem to be a bit of a ticking clock for this potential trade. If the draft comes and goes this weekend and the Hurricanes still hold Necas' rights, the odds that Carolina just retains him against his wishes for next season go up. It will be interesting to monitor the reports surrounding Necas, and if the Sabres can acquire him given LeBrun's report of their interest.

What will the Hurricanes do if Martin Necas signs an offer sheet?

Tulsky was asked directly about an offer sheet for Necas, which he does not think the player would sign, as it would put the Hurricanes in the driver's seat. Barring a huge number, it seems like Tulsky would match the offer sheet to keep Necas in Carolina.

“Yeah I mean, if someone offer sheets him at $16 million a year, we won't match,” Tulsky said, via LeBrun. “But if teams are drawing the line on a trade at less than what we're asking for, then they're going to be doing an offer sheet at a place where we would match it easily without a second thought.”

The Hurricanes would get draft compensation if they let Necas walk by not matching an offer sheet, but the amount of compensation depends on the money that he signs for. It would likely be something that is not enough for Carolina to walk away from Necas. Like Tulsky said, the compensation they would get from an offer sheet is likely less than they are seeking in a trade.

Still, there seems to be a lot of interest in Necas ahead of the draft, and he will be one of the biggest storylines as the first round approaches on Friday.