The Colorado Avalanche are on an absolute tear, notching four straight wins this past week. They kicked things off by handling the Chicago Blackhawks with ease, then went on to upset Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins were next in line, feeling the full force of Colorado's momentum. Finally, the Avalanche capped their week by adding another notch to the Winnipeg Jets' loss column.
A standout performer in this impressive stretch has been Martin Necas. Acquired in a January 2025 trade from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen, Necas has been nothing short of sensational.
Over these four games, he racked up eight points, including three goals and five assists, and even netted a power-play goal against the Penguins. Colorado’s power play, which has struggled this season, is showing signs of life-and Necas is a big reason why.
His stellar performance earned him Player of the Week honors from the NHLPA. Playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon on the top line, Necas is obliterating his previous career highs in both goals and assists, with 34 goals and 55 assists so far-and 11 games still to play. His shooting percentage is a career-best 19.7%, surpassing his previous high of 18.2% set back in the 2019-20 season with the Hurricanes.
Necas is also making his mark defensively, tied for second in the league with Nikita Kucherov in plus/minus at +45, trailing only his teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who leads with +57.
For Avalanche fans, there's plenty to be excited about. The player they traded away, Rantanen, has 20 goals and 49 assists in 54 games.
Earlier predictions by Katie Bartlett that Necas would outscore Rantanen are proving accurate so far. While Nathan MacKinnon’s influence is undeniable, Necas is shining brightly on his own merit.
Looking ahead, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Necas continue to rack up accolades. With the Avalanche firing on all cylinders and no signs of slowing down, the sky's the limit. As the postseason approaches, fans can look forward to Necas contributing even more, especially on the power play.