Hurricanes' Martin Necas On '50-50' Decision & 'Bigger Role' Request

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas talked to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman in August and told the hockey insider that the decision to re-sign with the team this offseason was far from a certainty.

Speaking with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, as the insider revealed in his latest 32 Thoughts column on August 25 , Necas was "50-50" on whether to stay with the Hurricanes, citing dissatisfaction with his performance last season and clashing with head coach Rod Brind'amour's on-ice decisions.

“I wasn’t sure,” Necas said. “Lots of talking between us and Carolina. It was 50/50. I didn’t have the best season, wasn’t happy. But we turned the page, we figured out a way to stay for two more years.

"I feel like Carolina is my home. I was drafted there, I played there for five seasons, at the end of the day I'm happy that I'm back and can prove to people there that I’m better than I was last season. I’m excited, I’m pumped.”

Necas signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the Canes worth an average annual value of $6.5 million on July 29. The 25-year-old forward did so coming off a season in which he scored 24 goals and 29 assists for 53 total points over 77 games. It certainly was a large decline from the 71 points he posted the previous year.

Necas also acknowledged interest from other teams this past summer, including receiving offers from the Winnipeg Jets and the Columbus Blue Jackets. “I’ll be honest, there were lots (of interested teams),” Necas told Friedman.

Finally, Necas touched on the importance of improving his relationship with head coach Rod Brind’Amour, particularly concerning his ice time. Necas’s average ice time dropped by more than a minute last season, which he attributes partly to differences in playing style with Brind’Amour.

“I think we will (make it work) and we have to," Necas said. "It’s important for us, I’ve got to give him something for him to give me (more ice-time).

"I never had a problem with Rod off the ice, we’ve always been good to each other. I’ve got to be better. Be a player he can trust. I’m looking for a bigger role, I definitely want to play more, but obviously I’ve got to show it on the ice and I already talked with Rod.”

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