It took one game for Nathan MacKinnon to spot a key difference with his new linemate, Martin Necas.
MacKinnon sent a pass to Necas on the far side of the ice against the Boston Bruins the day after the Colorado Avalanche’s blockbuster trade sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Necas, Jack Drury and two draft picks.
He’d made a similar play to Rantanen countless times over nearly a decade of playing together.
“I just kind of stopped playing,” MacKinnon said. “I’m used to that just being a shot. (Necas) gave it back and I would have had an empty net if I just read that. Things like that will come, and I definitely got to be more ready, for sure.”
Necas was a phenom at home in Czechia and has developed into a productive NHL player in the midst of a career year before the trade. He and the Avalanche believe his production could find a new level in Colorado.
That starts with MacKinnon. Carolina has been a great team for years, but the Hurricanes have never had a player like the reigning league MVP.
Replacing a superstar-level talent like Rantanen is nearly impossible, but for this trade to be a success on Colorado’s side, the MacKinnon-Necas partnership has to flourish.
“I always wanted to play with a right-handed center,” Necas said. “I feel like we will be able to find each other a little more. Playing with a guy like that is just a pleasure.”
The early returns on the ice have been promising. Necas has a goal and five points in five games with the Avs. Colorado’s top line, with MacKinnon flanked by Necas on the right and either Jonathan Drouin or Artturi Lehkonen on the left, has looked … well, a lot like the first line that has dominated offensively for years.
MacKinnon’s role in helping Necas with the transition has also been a positive development.
“He’s been great,” Necas said. “You can see how much he wants to win and how much he cares. This whole locker room, all the guys, you can see the professionalism. They love to win here. That’s what I have in myself too.”
The Avs played two matinee games after the trade, so it wasn’t until the morning skate on Long Island that the pair could really start to work on building some chemistry, beyond just talking about their shifts during those games.
MacKinnon and Necas looked glued to each at UBS Arena. Necas has also joined MacKinnon’s mini-group at practices, which often includes Drouin and Casey Mittelstadt working on certain passes and plays they might make in a game.
“It seems like you can see it in his eyes. He wants to get better,” MacKinnon said. “He wants to be the best version of himself. You can tell that pretty quickly.”
There are a couple of obvious differences since the trade. The biggest at even strength is how often Necas carries the puck into the offensive zone.
That has been MacKinnon’s job. He’s one of the best in the league at it.
Well, now the Avs have two guys at that level. Necas’ ability to breeze past defenders with a combination of elite speed and slick moves looks a lot like what happens when No. 29 gets a head of steam.
“I mean, he’s so fast, and for me, yeah, it’s just different,” MacKinnon said. “When he has the puck, I can relax a little bit. It’s an entry every time. He’s one of the best entry players.
“I think we play a lot different than Carolina does, a different style. It’s a lot of adjustments to make, but it seems like he’s been enjoying it so far.”
The other big change is on the power play. Necas has moved into a hybrid net-front/below-the-goal-line role, with Drouin kicking out to the right flank where Rantanen used to roam.
Necas and MacKinnon have also been flipping back and forth on that side of the ice, and it allows the reigning MVP more freedom to explore the open spaces in the defense — similar to how Connor McDavid often moves and probes during Edmonton’s power play.
“Knowing that if he vacates that spot, there’s another (right-handed) guy that can fill it, it helps,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Playing it down to the goal line with a lefty, it’s just not as easy to do, not as productive if you have a righty there. We’ve been lacking in right-hand shots from our forward group … pretty much since I got here. They’re hard to find, so to get a quality righty like Marty, I think it can help those guys on the power play.”
The Avs’ power play looks different. MacKinnon and Cale Makar aren’t going to try and tee up a one-timer for Drouin the way they did for Rantanen. The new PP1 has moved the puck, but also at times passed up potential shots.
But, it’s also looked more unpredictable, and at least in a small sample size, been more productive. The Avs were stuck in a long funk on the power play before the trade, but they’ve scored four times in 12 chances since the deal.
Stylistically, Necas and Rantanen are very different players. But the Avs need him and MacKinnon to be a similarly dynamic duo. Having MacKinnon’s help could go a long way.
There will be plenty of external pressure for Necas, and inevitable comparisons to Rantanen.
“I’m excited for that. It’s a nice task,” Necas said. “I feel like just playing my game, playing with the great players here, two of the best in the world — to me, it’s more about playing my game and adjusting to each other.”
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