The Colorado Avalanche continued their electric start to the season with some off-ice news on Thursday, signing Martin Necas to an extension. Reports from the offseason indicated that the two sides were far apart in negotiations before the puck dropped. But now, just 11 games into the season, he is locked in for eight years. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun says that the Utah Mammoth's deal with Logan Cooley helped bring the Avs and Necas closer together.
“Negotiations were stuck for a while, with Colorado citing Cale Makar’s next contract as a factor in talks with the Nečas camp and a reason why the Avalanche had to be careful. Makar can be extended next summer from his current deal, which pays him $9 million a year, and the world’s best defenseman is in for a huge raise,” LeBrun reported.
“There’s no question that Logan Cooley’s $10 million AAV extension on Wednesday helped move the needle. Once the Avalanche moved up to $11.5 million AAV, that was enough for Nečas to say yes. He’s found a home in Colorado, where the team’s fast-paced style fits nicely with his skating ability,” the insider continued.
The Mammoth are off to a great start as well, tied with the Avalanche for the best record in the Western Conference. Cooley is much younger than Necas and does not have the track record, so the Avs paid up to keep the center. It also helps that he was the key piece in the Mikko Rantanen trade, so losing him for free would be a PR nightmare.
The Avalanche and Mammoth should be set up for great matchups throughout the 2025-26 season as the Central Division shakes out. Necas and Cooley will be at the center of those battles as scoring centers for both clubs. And now, they are tied in contract history as well.
