Martin Necas was spectacular for Czechia at the Olympic Games. And despite his nation bowing out in the quarterfinals, it doesn’t erase the impact he had, and what it could bring to the Avalanche as a result.
Necas didn’t play the last three games before the break. And in his last six games with Colorado, he had just four assists, all of which were accumulated in two games. Necas was a -6 in his last two games.
His sudden dip in production could have been due to a lack of confidence that had been building during the Avalanche’s losing stretch. He may have also been playing hurt. Or perhaps it was a tough stretch because his focus may have shifted toward going to Italy, representing his nation, and the chance to play for gold.
Whatever the reason was, it didn’t hurt his play. Necas finished the tournament with three goals, eight points, and a +1 rating.
“I don’t know that Marty lacks a lot of confidence,” head coach Jared Bednar told reporters on Wednesday. “But certainly going on a world stage and playing against the world’s best in a tournament like that, and being able to sort of continue what he’s been doing for us here, should help his confidence, no question.”
He bowed out while holding the fourth spot in scoring behind Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, and Lucas Raymond.
“He’s been impactful the whole time, he had a great tournament, I thought,” Bednar said.
Through 52 games with the Avs, Necas had 22 goals, 40 assists and 62 points. He’s producing at a slightly higher rate than he was last year with Carolina before the trade.
But what has hurt Necas often in the past, most notable in Carolina, was his lack of playoff production. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a beast of their own, but Necas’ play at the Olympics could help erase that reputation if it carries over to this spring.
After all, Necas has won everywhere he’s played. Having the confidence to build on what has been a spectacular regular season and Olympics to date could help him reach that next level.
