If you’d asked any Colorado Avalanche fan they’d be watching Martin Necas play in burgundy and blue, they probably would not have believed you.

Let alone watching him play because of who was traded away.

With the Hurricanes

Necas had been a staple of the Carolina Hurricanes’ lineup. He enjoyed playing in Raleigh and was a fan favorite and a great player.

He played the first 49 games of the regular season for the Canes. In those 49 games, he put up 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points, averaging over a point a game. At one point, he led the league in points.

A variety of those points came on the man advantage. He scored seven of his 16 goals on the power play and had 22 total power-play points.

He was shooting over 14% with five game-winning goals in those 49 games. All of this was done while solidifying his spot in the top six.

Until one January evening, his life turned completely upside down.

With the Avalanche

The Hurricanes ended up being the winners of a massive three-team trade involving the Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks. Necas joined Jack Drury in the deal, while Mikko Rantanen went to Carolina.

Necas was certainly surprised to be traded, especially in such a massive deal from an Avalanche perspective. He played his first game on January 25 on the road against the Boston Bruins.

He struggled in his first game with a -3 while playing over 25 minutes, the highest of his season. However, he quickly turned it around.

The 26-year-old ended up playing 30 games for the Avalanche, ending with 11 goals and 17 assists. As a new member of the top line, he got the Colorado experience of playing most of the night. He ended the year averaging 20 minutes a night, the highest of his career.

The 12th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has always had his issues in the postseason. Rantanen thrived, especially in goal-scoring, and Necas was compared to him to fill the gaps.

In the seven-game series against the Dallas Stars, he scored once with four assists. Meanwhile, Rantanen had been traded to Dallas and more than doubled Necas’ points in the series.

However, all of the blame certainly didn’t fall on the Czechia forward. Nonetheless, it’s been rumored he hasn’t loved his time in Colorado and is among the trade rumors.

What’s next for Necas?

Necas also enjoyed time playing for his country at the World Championships after the season ended. He scored three goals and notched four assists, helping take his team to the quarterfinals.

The Avalanche only has one more year left on Necas’ current deal, worth $6.5 million. He is eligible to be re-signed this summer, but it has not happened yet, despite others like Josh Manson and Parker Kelly getting new contracts.

Martin Necas is sure to get paid. After losing out on Rantanen, Colorado needs to cough up the money to keep him or be the ultimate loser of the trade made back on January 24.