The Colorado Avalanche already know what Martin Necas can do. The real question is how much more he can give them.
After arriving in a trade with the Hurricanes, Necas fit in fast on a top line that also features Nathan MacKinnon. Last season, he put together the first 100-point campaign of his career, finishing with 38 goals and 62 assists. That production came with one less game than he played the year before with Carolina and Colorado combined, a sign that the Avalanche have unlocked something real.
But there’s still another level here. With another season alongside MacKinnon, Necas could settle in even more and take on a bigger share of the load. That matters for Colorado, because the more offense they can get from places other than MacKinnon, the better their chances of getting back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
Necas also had a meaningful role on the power play, scoring nine goals there on 60 shots. That was a career high.
Still, the Avalanche’s overall numbers with the extra man left plenty to be desired. Colorado finished 27th in power play percentage at 17.1% and managed 45 power play goals, tied for 20th in the league.
By comparison, the Oilers led the NHL with a 30.6% power play and 68 goals.
That’s where the larger issue comes into focus. Necas did his part, but the system around him needs to be sharper. Cale Makar is the “quarterback” of the unit, and Dave Hakstol and the rest of the group have to find a better formula in 2026-27 if Colorado wants to go deeper in the playoffs.
There’s also a roster change to account for after the trade of Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Colorado will need to replace Nichushkin’s physicality and his scoring touch after he posted 17 goals and 32 assists last season.
That puts even more weight on the top line of Necas, MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen. On paper, it can be the best top line in the league. Now it has to show that with consistency.
And if Necas keeps producing at a higher level, it could help Colorado in another way: easing some of the burden on MacKinnon over the course of the regular season so he’s fresher when the Avalanche need him most in the postseason.
The talent is there. Colorado just needs more of it, from more places, with Necas right at the center of it.
In Other News...
Avalanche May Have Found An Under The Radar Blue Line Option
Domenick Fensores arrival gives Colorado another low-risk blue line add to keep an eye on as the organization sorts through its depth chart. The 24-year-old left defenseman comes over after a productive season with the Chicago Wolves, where he set career highs in goals, assists and points while also getting a long playoff run in 18 games, and he already has a little NHL experience from a one-game stint with Carolina.
For the Avalanche, the immediate plan is straightforward: Fensore is expected to land with the Colorado Eagles in 2026-27 and continue developing in the system. What makes him interesting is the profile, a left-shot defender who has already shown he can produce at the AHL level and who now gets another chance to push for more after a steady climb through the minors. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Cale Makar Debate Fans Never Expected
The idea of the Avalanche even having a Cale Makar discussion sounds out of place until you remember how quickly the organization has surprised people before. Adrian Hernandez, an editing contributor for Mile High Hockey, raised the possibility in a recent piece, noting that Makars standing in contract talks gives him real leverage and makes the situation worth watching as the calendar keeps moving.
September 15 looms as the key date for unrestricted free agents who want eight-year deals before the maximum drops to seven years, which adds another layer of pressure to the conversation. Nobody is saying a Makar trade is likely, but the fact that it cant be completely dismissed says plenty about how unusual the Avalanches recent decision-making has already been. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Were Right To Move On From Casey Mittelstadt
Colorado had plenty of reason to keep looking when Casey Mittelstadt never quite settled into the top-six center role the Avalanche wanted from him. The move to send him to Boston reflected a clear organizational judgment: if he was not going to fill that spot, there was little sense in forcing the fit.
Mittelstadt has since settled in as a middle-six winger for the Bruins, where he posted 15 goals and 42 points in 71 games last season. The next question is whether Boston treats that as a sign of a larger breakout or a reason to commit long term, with talk already circulating about a four-year, $26 million extension that would test how much the Bruins believe in the player they inherited. [Read more 🡒]