Cooley Extension A Big Reason Avalanche Signed Necas Quickly

There have been plenty of big contracts signed by star players to begin the 2025-26 season. It has really cut down the potential free agents for next summer, but the teams that have locked up their players long-term aren't worried about that.

The two most recent big contracts signed have been Logan Cooley and Martin Necas, but the Necas deal only got done so quickly because of the shift after Cooley signed for $10 million AAV with the Utah Mammoth.

Pierre LeBrun said, "Not too long after that Logan Cooley deal got announced, the Avalanche moved from $10.5 million to $11.5 million." The initial number wasn't a bad deal for eight years, but Necas was proving and continues to prove that he deserves even more.

Necas has been the perfect fit on the Colorado Avalanche so far alongside Nathan MacKinnon and on the top power-play unit. Necas is tied for eighth in the league in points with nine goals and 17 points in 13 games. He is one goal and two points back of MacKinnon and the 26-year-old has scored in both games since signing an eight-year deal to stay in Colorado, also adding two assists in those games as well.

Necas never got a great opportunity to shine with the Carolina Hurricanes due to their style of play and the other players in his way, but there is no better opportunity than the one he has with the Avalanche and he has taken full advantage of it already.

Cooley is coming off his entry-level deal, while Necas is a few years older and has already had his bridge deal since he was in that position. Necas has proven more than Cooley, and the Avalanche are still saving a bit on what they would have had to give to Mikko Rantanen for eight years.

Whether going with Necas for a little cheaper and pushing the big extension one year down the line works out better than keeping Rantanen will be revealed in time, but Colorado did what they had to and should be pleased with how things turned out and how Necas has played.