Hurricanes GM breaks silence on Martin Necas trade talks as team moves closer

Carolina Hurricanes restricted free agent Martin Necas is one of the hottest names this offseason as he would like a change of scenery, but time is running out for general manager Eric Tulsky to secure a first-round pick round in this year’s draft, which begins Friday. The Hurricanes have received a lot of interest, and the Buffalo Sabers appear to be very interested, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Tulsky declined to set a deadline for the decision.

“The teams are calling. We worked hard on that,” Eric Tulsky said via LeBrun. “I would say that’s been one of my main goals, trying to figure out where this is going to take us. We’ve had a lot of interest. We have received a few offers that I would consider very serious. … It remains to be seen whether any of them will cross the line or not.”

According to LeBrun, there is a team that is pretty close to the Hurricanes on a deal that would involve a first-round pick Friday night if it goes through.

Despite Tulsky’s comments, there appears to be some time for this potential trade. If the draft comes and goes this weekend and the Hurricanes still hold the rights to Necas, the chances of Carolina holding him against his will for next season increase. It will be interesting to monitor the reports surrounding Necas, and whether the Sabers can acquire him given LeBrun’s report of their interest.

What will the Hurricanes do if Martin Necas signs an offer sheet?

Tulsky was asked directly about an offer sheet for Necas, which he doesn’t think the player would sign because it would put the Hurricanes in the driver’s seat. Barring a huge number, it seems like Tulsky would fit the offer to keep Necas in Carolina.

“Yeah, I mean, if someone offers him sheets at $16 million a year, we won’t match,” Tulsky said, via LeBrun. “But if teams set the cap on a trade for less than what we’re asking, then they’ll write an offer sheet somewhere where we would easily match it without a second thought.”

The Hurricanes would get tentative compensation if they let Necas leave by not matching an offer sheet, but the amount of compensation depends on how much money he signs for. That probably wouldn’t be enough for Carolina to move away from Necas. As Tulsky said, the compensation they would get from an offer is likely less than what they are looking for in a trade.

Still, there appears to be a lot of interest in Necas heading into the draft, and he will be one of the biggest storylines heading into the first round on Friday.