Necas having fun playing with MacKinnon, Avalanche after blockbuster trade

Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon have exhibited chemistry for the Colorado Avalanche usually reserved for teammates who've been together for years, not a month.

Necas, 26, has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his first 11 games with the Avalanche since being acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24.

MacKinnon, who leads the NHL with 90 points (23 goals, 67 assists) in 60 games, has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) since Necas' arrival.

"It's definitely working for my game," Necas said of the trade. "They're a puck-possession team, one of the best in the League for sure, along with Edmonton, I would say.

"It's just fun to play with these guys, they're great and it's been a real pleasure to play with these guys."

Necas was enjoying another productive season with the Hurricanes before the trade. He had 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists) in 49 games and was well on the way to approaching his NHL career high of 71 points (28 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games in 2022-23. He had a feeling he could be headed elsewhere when he saw Carolina had reportedly traded for Rantanen.

"Nobody expected it, especially at that time of year. There weren't a lot of trades really happening then," Necas said. "When I saw it on social media that Carolina was acquiring Mikko Rantanen, I thought, 'Oh boy, I'm probably coming here.'"

Necas was sent to the Avalanche with forward Jack Drury, a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in a three-team trade also involving the Chicago Blackhawks. He played his first game for Colorado one day later, a 3-1 loss at the Boston Bruins.

Drury, 25, has two goals in 11 games for the Avalanche. He scored three in 39 games with the Hurricanes.

"I think both guys have really come in and have been as advertised," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "Marty and Nate have found real good chemistry, especially with [Artturi Lehkonen] on that line. They've been dangerous both 5-on-5 and on the power play and doing a great job defensively as well.

"It doesn't always fit; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But I do think that it's guys that have similar views on the game, but they work on it too. They spend a significant amount of time talking, communicating, during practices, on the bench, on the plane, it doesn't matter. They're kind of always talking hockey, so I think with two guys with those types of attitudes and wanting to find solutions to things and wanting to be the best they can be with the talent that they have, they figure it out."

MacKinnon and Rantanen were considered a dynamic duo in Colorado, having played 10 seasons together. The latter is in the final season of a six-year $55.5 million contract ($9.25 million average annual value) and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Instead of potentially losing Rantanen on the open market, the Avalanche made the trade, which also involved prospect forward Nils Juntorp and Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall.

"He's a great guy, an awesome guy," MacKinnon said of Necas. "I heard nothing but great things when he got traded here. I heard how high his ceiling could be, and we've seen it here with how talented he is and how good of a player he is. Him and [Drury] are great fits.

"I think we have a similar style of game. We both like to carry it off the rush, we're both righties. I think we think both similar, so we can imagine where each other would be on the ice, so it's a lot of fun. He's a dynamic player, he's amazing, and it's been good so far."