NHL.com’s fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we look at Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas' skating speed and chances of contending for the Art Ross Trophy.
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Past the two-month mark of the NHL season, there hasn’t been a bigger surprise among individual players than the fast start of Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas.
Entering Wednesday, Necas is tied with Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild for the League's second-most points (43), trailing only Nathan MacKinnon (46) of the Colorado Avalanche. Per NHL EDGE stats, Necas reached the top skating speed of the season at 24.49 miles per hour in the first period against the Avalanche on Dec. 5.
It marked the second-fastest speed of the NHL EDGE tracking era (since 2021-22) behind Denis Gurianov for the Dallas Stars on Oct. 16, 2021 (24.60 mph). Necas ranks third in speed bursts of 22-plus mph (22) this season, trailing only MacKinnon (35) and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (29) -- the past two Hart Trophy winners, respectively.
Although the Hart Trophy (most valuable player to his team) could be tough for Necas to win with elite heavyweights like MacKinnon, McDavid (three-time winner) and also Kaprizov (potential first-time winner for surprising Wild), the Art Ross Trophy (awarded annually to the League's top point scorer) does not come down to voting; it’s strictly based on individual statistics over the course of the season.
Necas, who’s only 25, has the highest point total through 28 games of a season in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history, ahead of the previous mark of 41 points by Eric Staal in 2005-06. Necas ranks fourth in the NHL in points per game (1.54), putting him on an 82-game pace for 126 points, which would shatter the Hurricanes/Whalers single-season points record held by Mike Rogers (had 105 in 1979-80, 1980-81). A Hurricanes/Whalers player has never finished higher than fifth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
Necas is having a breakout season considering he did not record his 43rd point last season until his 56th game. He has already eclipsed his number of multipoint games (14) from last season (11) and is one off the League leader in such games, Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs (15). In fact, he has almost as many games with three or more points this season (four) than he has with no points (five).
Necas also has an elite shot; per NHL EDGE stats, his top shot speed (94.62 miles per hour; just outside top 10 among forwards) ranks in the 97th percentile at the position this season. He is also among the League leaders in midrange shots on goal (26; 91st percentile) and midrange goals (six; 97th percentile).
Necas is also a key contributor without the puck, leading Hurricanes forwards with 11 takeaways. Necas is helped by Carolina's possession-based structure, which has become the calling card under coach Rod Brind'Amour; the Hurricanes are on pace to lead the NHL in 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage (59.3) for the third straight season.
Necas is one of eight forwards on the team to have at least a plus-100 shot attempt differential (plus-100). No other team has more than four such forwards. Per NHL EDGE stats, among the NHL’s top nine players in offensive zone time percentage at all strengths this season, seven play for the Hurricanes, including Necas (49.7 percent; seventh).
A fixture on the Hurricanes’ top power-play unit this season, Necas leads the NHL with 19 power-play points (7 goals, 12 assists) this season, already exceeding his total from last season (13 in 77 games). In all, Necas has been on the ice for 55 Hurricanes goals this season, which ranks tied for fourth in the NHL behind Avalanche teammates MacKinnon (64) and Mikko Rantanen (63) and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (56). Necas is shooting a career-high 20.0 percent this season, not far ahead of his previous best rate (18.2 in 64 games during 2019-20 season).
The Czechia native Necas, who signed a two-year, $13 million contract this past offseason, could become an unrestricted free agent after next season (2025-26). Not only is there a case that he’s been the most valuable player on the Hurricanes (compared to teammate Sebastian Aho), but Necas has catapulted himself into the race for multiple major individual NHL Awards with advanced metrics suggesting he has plenty of staying power.
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