Martin Necas just landed one of the most lucrative contracts in Colorado Avalanche history — an eight-year, $92 million extension that locks him in at $11.5 million per season through 2034.
With a 100-point regular season in 2025–26, this Czech superstar has turned himself into a franchise centerpiece and one of the NHL’s best-paid forwards.
Martin Necas’ Biography
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Martin Nečas |
| Date of Birth | January 15, 1999 |
| Age | 27 |
| Birthplace | Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic |
| Nationality | Czech |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Position | Center / Forward |
| Shoots | Right |
| Current NHL Team | Colorado Avalanche |
| NHL Draft | 12th overall, 2017 (Carolina Hurricanes) |
| Years Active | 2017–present |
| Net Worth | ~$15 million |
| Current Cap Hit | $6.5 million (2025–26); $11.5 million from 2026–27 |
| Relationship Status | Dating (girlfriend: Nykki Mertlova) |
| @martinnecas88 |
Early Life and Hockey Journey
Martin Necas grew up in Nové Město na Moravě, a small Czech city with deep hockey roots.
His father, Martin Sr., was a hockey coach, which meant that sticks, skates, and rinks were part of the household long before Martin could read.
His early development was rapid. Playing for HC Žďár nad Sázavou’s U16 squad, Necas posted an extraordinary 91 points in just 34 games during the 2014–15 season, leading the entire Czech under-16 league in scoring. That kind of output at age 15 immediately flagged him as a future NHL prospect.
He moved up to HC Kometa Brno’s system in 2015–16, where he won a U18 championship and led all postseason players in both assists and points.
The following season, 2016–17, Necas stepped into the senior Czech Extraliga and became the most productive under-18 player in the entire league with 15 points — earning the Czech Extraliga Rookie of the Year award.
By the time scouts arrived in Chicago for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Necas was widely regarded as one of Europe’s best available prospects.
The Carolina Hurricanes selected him 12th overall, and a path to North America’s top league officially opened.
He didn’t rush the transition. Rather than struggling on an NHL roster at 18, Necas returned to Brno for another season and helped them claim a second consecutive Czech Extraliga title in 2016–17. That decision to develop at his own pace paid dividends later in his career.
Career
Necas made a brief NHL debut with the Hurricanes in the 2017–18 season before returning to Brno one final time.
His full North American launch came in 2018–19, when he earned a roster spot with Carolina, recorded his first NHL goal against Tampa Bay on October 16, 2018, and began finding his feet at the highest level.
His breakout came slowly but steadily. Across the 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22 seasons, Necas logged between 35 and 41 points per year while learning the pace and physicality of the NHL.
The 2022–23 campaign changed everything — he exploded for 71 points in 82 games, leading the entire Hurricanes roster in scoring and announcing himself as a legitimate top-line player.
Contract disputes with Carolina followed. Despite his production, the two sides could never agree on long-term value, and Necas signed a series of bridge deals instead.
That changed dramatically in January 2025, when the Hurricanes traded Mikko Rantanen to Colorado and received Necas as the centerpiece of the return.
The fit in Denver was instant. Necas finished the 2024–25 season with a then-career-best 83 points (27 goals, 56 assists) in 79 games, becoming the second player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to post at least 11 goals and 17 assists in his first 30 games with the franchise.
The 2025–26 season took Necas to another tier entirely. Playing on a line with Nathan MacKinnon, he finished with 38 goals and 100 points in 78 games — his first career 100-point season — and ranked among the NHL’s top five scorers.
Colorado locked him up in October 2025 on an eight-year, $92 million extension before he could hit the open market as a UFA.
Girlfriend
Martin Necas has been in a relationship with Nykki Mertlova, a Czech singer and content creator known publicly as Nykki.
The two have been together for several years and are active on social media, sharing glimpses of life both in Denver and back home in the Czech Republic.
Necas has featured Mertlova in an NHL My World segment, where the two sat down for dinner and discussed life as a hockey couple. There is no public record of marriage or children as of 2026.
Martin Necas’ Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Martin Necas has an estimated net worth of approximately $15 million.
His wealth comes from NHL contracts spanning nearly a decade, a modest but growing endorsement presence, and the kind of earnings trajectory that will accelerate dramatically once his $11.5 million cap-hit contract begins in 2026–27.
Contract
On October 30, 2025, Necas signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche.
The deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $11.5 million and kicks in with the 2026–27 season, running through the 2033–34 campaign.
The contract is heavily front-loaded, with reports indicating roughly $60 million in signing bonuses baked into the structure.
Necas holds a full no-move clause from 2026–27 through 2032–33, which converts to a modified no-trade clause covering 15 teams for the final season in 2033–34.
When the contract begins, Necas will account for 11.06% of the projected 2026–27 salary cap, tying him for the 11th-highest cap hit in the entire league at that time.
Prior to this deal, Necas signed a two-year, $13 million bridge contract with Carolina in July 2024 — a deal that carried over to Colorado following the January 2025 trade.
That contract covers the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons at $6.5 million cap hit per year.
Salary
Necas currently earns $6.5 million per year under his existing contract through the 2025–26 season.
Starting in 2026–27, that figure rises to $11.5 million annually, placing him among the highest-paid forwards in the NHL.
His career cap hit history shows a steady climb: from $1.4 million per year on his entry-level contract to $3 million in 2022–24, $6.5 million in 2024–26, and now $11.5 million from 2026 onward. Each jump reflected his improving on-ice output and increasing market value.
According to Hockey-Reference, his 100-point 2025–26 season puts him in elite statistical company and justifies Colorado’s decision to lock him in at that number before he could test the open market.
Career Earnings By Year
| Season | Team | Cap Hit | Approx. Cash Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Carolina Hurricanes | ~$875K | ~$875K |
| 2018–19 | Carolina Hurricanes | ~$875K | ~$875K |
| 2019–20 | Carolina Hurricanes | ~$875K | ~$875K |
| 2020–21 | Carolina Hurricanes | ~$875K | ~$875K |
| 2021–22 | Carolina Hurricanes | ~$2.5M | ~$2.5M |
| 2022–23 | Carolina Hurricanes | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| 2023–24 | Carolina Hurricanes | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| 2024–25 | CAR / Colorado Avalanche | $6,500,000 | ~$6,000,000 |
| 2025–26 | Colorado Avalanche | $6,500,000 | ~$6,000,000 |
| Career Total | ~$24.5M (gross) |
Career Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Carolina Hurricanes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | Carolina Hurricanes | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 |
| 2019–20 | Carolina Hurricanes | 64 | 16 | 20 | 36 | +7 |
| 2020–21 | Carolina Hurricanes | 48 | 9 | 26 | 35 | +3 |
| 2021–22 | Carolina Hurricanes | 67 | 14 | 27 | 41 | +10 |
| 2022–23 | Carolina Hurricanes | 82 | 28 | 43 | 71 | +15 |
| 2023–24 | Carolina Hurricanes | 77 | 24 | 29 | 53 | +8 |
| 2024–25 | CAR / COL | 79 | 27 | 56 | 83 | +22 |
| 2025–26 | Colorado Avalanche | 78 | 38 | 62 | 100 | — |
FAQs
What is Martin Necas’s net worth?
Martin Necas has an estimated net worth of approximately $15 million. He built this through NHL contracts spanning nine seasons, with total gross career earnings approaching $24.5 million before taxes and fees.
How much does Martin Necas earn per year?
Necas currently earns $6.5 million per year in the 2025–26 season. Starting in 2026–27, his annual salary jumps to $11.5 million under his new eight-year, $92 million extension with the Colorado Avalanche.
What is Martin Necas’s biggest NHL contract?
His largest deal is the eight-year, $92 million extension he signed with the Colorado Avalanche on October 30, 2025. The contract carries an AAV of $11.5 million and runs through the 2033–34 season, making him one of the best-paid forwards in the NHL.
How many points did Martin Necas score in the 2025–26 season?
Necas finished the 2025–26 regular season with 38 goals and 100 points in 78 games with the Colorado Avalanche — the first 100-point season of his career and a new personal best, surpassing his 83-point campaign from 2024–25.
Which team drafted Martin Necas and what pick was he?
The Carolina Hurricanes selected Martin Necas with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He spent seven seasons with Carolina before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in January 2025 as the key piece in the Mikko Rantanen blockbuster deal.
