Martin Necas was the key piece of the return in the shocking blockbuster trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes last season — and the Colorado Avalanche would love to get the pending unrestricted free agent locked up before next summer.

It certainly won't be easy, as the 28-year-old is due for a significant raise from the $6.5 million AAV he was commanding in each of the last two campaigns. He recorded 28 points in 30 regular-season games with the Avs in 2024-25, playing a significant role on the first line with Nathan MacKinnon, as well as with the top powerplay group.

One thing that could be holding up a potential contract extension for Necas in Denver is Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, as The Denver Post's Corey Masisak reported earlier this week.

Kaprizov reportedly turned down a $128 million contract extension earlier in September that would have made him the highest-paid player of all time. As Masisak asserts, Necas' contract situation is “a tricky negotiation for both sides,” and used the Russian as a reason why.

The hockey insider argues that Necas might not want to sign his deal until his agency group — led by Eclipse Sports Management’s Michael Deutsch — sees how much Kaprizov makes.

It's no secret that Necas will be looking for a hefty raise, and it's going to be difficult for the Avalanche to meet his demands — just as it was for the Hurricanes before they traded him.

Avalanche experiencing Mikko Rantanen deja vu with Martin Necas?

NHL insider Frank Seravalli added to Masisak's reporting on Tuesday, asserting that Colorado might be in the same position with Necas now as it was with Rantanen a year ago.

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“I'm fascinated by what happens with Marty Necas and the Avs. Because they're right back in the same situation that they were this time last year with Mikko Rantanen,” Seravalli said. “Didn't want to pay him what he was due, they ended up moving him well before the trade deadline back in January. Now, they acquire Necas in that deal, north of a point-per-game player.”

Seravalli added: “And he wants to be paid. What does that number look like? How close is it to what the Rantanen deal looked like? If he has another north of point-per-game season, this is just numbers; he's going to be in that $10 million a year range. Which, man, you're just right back at square one. So, not an easy situation to be in if you're Chris MacFarland and the Colorado Avalanche.”

It's certainly a difficult spot; MacKinnon's cap hit is now $12.6 million until 2031, and the Avs also need to make room for Cale Makar's likely record-setting contract extension in two years. Right now, the team only has $1.3 million in cap space to work with, per Puck Pedia.

Necas is an excellent hockey player and a key piece of this Avalanche team, but retaining him is going to prove a significant challenge for Colorado's brass.

It'll be interesting to see if player and club can agree to a suitable extension, or whether the team will be trading away a second star player in under a years' time.