Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas is getting another piece of recognition after the best season of his career.
NHL Network unveiled Necas on Sunday as the No. 49 player on its annual Top 50 Players in the NHL right now list, marking the first time he has made the cut. The countdown started with the players ranked No. 50 through No. 41, and Necas was the second name revealed, sandwiched between Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston at No. 50 and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart at No. 48.
Necas put together a huge first full season in Colorado, piling up career bests with 38 goals, 62 assists and 100 points in 78 games. That total left him tied for seventh in the league in points with fellow Czech star David Pastrnak.
He came out flying, too. Necas began the season with an eight-game point streak and put up six goals and 12 points during that stretch. From there, he kept producing while spending much of the year skating with Nathan MacKinnon.
The 27-year-old gave the Avalanche another major scoring threat and became one of the team’s most important offensive pieces. Colorado has long leaned on MacKinnon and Cale Makar, and Necas added another dangerous layer to that attack. His 38 goals were 10 more than his previous career high, and his 100 points topped his old best of 83 by a wide margin.
That breakout season came after a year of adjustment in Colorado following the blockbuster three-team trade in January 2025 that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Necas then locked in his future with the Avalanche in October 2025, signing an eight-year contract extension.
NHL Network had already included Necas earlier this month when it ranked the league’s top wingers, and he looks set to be just the first Avalanche name on this list. MacKinnon and Makar are expected to show up much higher as the countdown continues, and both could land in the top five.
In Other News...
Avalanche Have One More Big Contract Call To Make
The Avalanche have spent the summer sorting through a familiar kind of question for a contender: how to keep the core intact while preserving the continuity that has made the franchise a perennial threat. At the center of that conversation is Jared Bednar, the winningest coach in team history, who is heading into the final year of his deal as Colorado looks to build on recent seasons and navigate another demanding schedule.
Joe Sakic has already tried to calm any nerves around the situation, telling the media that a contract extension for Bednar is expected soon. Even so, the timing makes it an important storyline for the Avalanche, because locking in the coach who has guided so much of their success would remove a layer of uncertainty before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans May Need To Rethink This Seventh Round Prospect
Christian Humphreys is the kind of late-round pick who can force a reappraisal fast. The Avalanche took the 20-year-old center/left wing in the seventh round in 2024, and since then he has gone from Michigan to the Kitchener Rangers and into a much bigger spotlight after a breakout season that helped fuel Kitcheners Memorial Cup run.
That surge has already shown up in how Colorado views him. Humphreys landed No. 5 on the organizations Top 25 Under 25 list for 2026, a strong sign that he is no longer just a lottery ticket from the back half of the draft. He is expected to head to the University of Minnesota for the 2026-27 season, giving the Avalanche another chance to watch how far his game can climb. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Just Got A New Reason To Believe This Core Can Contend
Late August odds can be a fickle thing, but they still offer a useful snapshot of how the league sees a contender before the first puck drops. The Avalanche have been placed near the top of the board for the 2027 Stanley Cup, listed at +900 and right in the mix with Florida and Carolina, which says plenty about the respect this core continues to earn even before the season has started.
Colorados outlook got another boost with Cale Makars contract extension, a move that only strengthens the belief that the teams best players can stay aligned for another run at the title. Still, these numbers come with the usual preseason caution, since circumstances can shift quickly once camp opens and the season begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]