Martin Necas came away from his first full season beside Nathan MacKinnon with a clear conclusion: the Avalanche star is every bit as relentless as he looks.
Asked about his relationship with MacKinnon, Necas offered nothing but praise for the teammate he spent much of 2025-26 skating with on Colorado’s top line. “He has quite a stern expression,” Necas said.
“But I’d say that in some ways we are similar. I also do everything to the maximum.
I want to win just like he does.”
Necas was also asked whether anything about MacKinnon caught him off guard after a full season around him. His answer was short and direct.
“Not much surprised me. And what he does on the ice?
Incredible. I’m glad that we play together,” Necas said.
The fit paid off for Necas, who posted a career-high 100 points in 2025-26 while spending a lot of the year on MacKinnon’s wing. The two had to work through some adjustments, especially on the power play, where they often found themselves in similar spots on the ice. That overlap played a part in Colorado’s struggles with the man advantage, but it didn’t stop Necas from taking another big offensive step.
Since arriving in Colorado in January 2025, Necas has played the best hockey of his career. Now 27, he is heading into the first season of the eight-year extension he signed at $11.5 million annually against the salary cap. His playoff production still leaves him with something to prove, but for the Avalanche, he has been exactly what they hoped for - and then some.
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Avalanche Camp Could Put These Newcomers On Thin Ice
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Fedor Svechkov, Zachary LHeureux and Noah Juulsen are among the newcomers who could find themselves on the bubble once the battles start in earnest. For a team trying to round out its bench without disturbing the top end of the lineup, those final roster decisions may come down to who can separate from the pack when camp pressure arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Peter Forsberg Nearly Lost Everything And Still Wanted Back On Ice
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Even after doctors told him he was done for the playoffs, Forsberg was still intent on getting back on the ice and started skating before he had been medically cleared. The medical team, understandably, put survival ahead of competition, and the gap between what Forsberg wanted and what his body could handle gave the story its tense edge. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Ratings Just Sparked A Debate Fans Wont Agree On
EA Sports has started rolling out the NHL 27 player ratings, and Colorado is once again well represented near the top of the list. Nathan MacKinnon comes in at 97 overall and Cale Makar follows at 95, a familiar reminder that the Avalanche still have two of the leagues premier talents driving the conversation whenever these rankings drop. The games top 300 players include 13 Avalanche skaters, giving the roster plenty of visibility and, inevitably, plenty of room for debate among fans who track these ratings as closely as the standings.
The rest of the list should spark even more discussion, especially for a team that has seen its core stack up well against the NHLs best in recent years. Some Avalanche players appear in line with what their recent performance would suggest, while others will likely leave supporters comparing where they landed this year to previous editions of the game. For a fan base that expects the Avalanche to be judged like a contender, these ratings are never just a video game detail, they become another measure of how the league sees the group as a whole. [Read more 🡒]