Martin Necas spent last season answering questions about whether he could become the player the Colorado Avalanche believed they were acquiring.
He answered them with 100 points.
Now comes the harder part: proving it wasn't a one-time breakthrough while dealing with everything that comes with becoming one of the NHL's most dangerous offensive players.
Nearly two months ago, The Hockey News examined the heightened pressure facing Necas as he prepared to enter his first full season with the Avalanche. At the time, the pressure centered largely around expectations. Colorado had acquired Necas to be a difference-maker, and after arriving midway through the previous season, he was finally going to have a full campaign to establish himself in an Avalanche uniform.
He did considerably more than that.
Necas delivered the best offensive season of his career, reaching the 100-point mark and establishing himself among the NHL's elite. But with that achievement comes a new reality: The target on his back has grown considerably.
The league has a way of humbling players who reach that level. One season can elevate a player into the conversation among the game's best; the next can bring an entirely different level of scrutiny. Jonathan Huberdeau is one example of how quickly circumstances can change after a career year.
For Necas, however, the challenge extends beyond simply maintaining his production. He is a dynamic offensive force with explosive speed, exceptional puckhandling ability and the creativity to make something happen whenever the puck is on his stick. But there has long been one vulnerability in his game: Necas can leave himself exposed to open-ice contact.
That tendency followed him from his days with the Carolina Hurricanes and remained an issue last season in Colorado. Last year, Necas absorbed several heavy hits, including Mikey Anderson's open-ice hit in Game 1 of the Avalanche's Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings.
Now, coming off a 100-point campaign, Necas is going to command even more attention from opposing teams.
And that means the hits are coming, too.
When a player establishes himself as one of the league's most dangerous offensive threats, opponents naturally look for ways to disrupt him. For Necas, protecting himself without sacrificing the speed, creativity and aggressiveness that make him so effective could become one of the most important challenges of his next chapter.
If the footage that surfaced during the offseason is any indication, Necas appears to understand that as well.
A video showed the Avalanche forward working out alongside Calgary Flames defenseman Adam Klapka and, perhaps more notably, Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl.
Hertl is the same player who delivered a devastating hip check on Necas in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, sending him down the tunnel and leaving Colorado without one of its most important offensive weapons as the Avalanche were ultimately swept out of the series.
Perhaps that experience helped reinforce something Necas already knew: At his level, being able to withstand the physical demands of an NHL season is just as important as being able to produce offensively.
And judging by how Necas spent his summer, it appears he put an emphasis on that side of his game.
When asked at training camp about his offseason preparation, Necas said he spent the summer working on his strength and power while also trying to become faster.
“Try to work a little on my strength, on my power, and, you know, get a little faster, get a little stronger,” Necas told reporters. “Lots of work on the ice.”
That makes the footage of Necas working out alongside Klapka and Hertl all the more intriguing. At 6-foot-8, Klapka is an imposing physical presence and the kind of player who immediately stands out on the ice. He is also the same defenseman who delivered a late-season hit on Cale Makar that sent the Avalanche star into the boards and left him with an upper-body injury.
Hertl, meanwhile, has built his career around a powerful, difficult-to-defend style, making the trio an especially interesting group to see training together.
Necas isn't suddenly going to become Superman, nor is he going to turn into the next Ivan Barbashev. That's not what this is about. But adding more strength and power to an already dangerous skill set could give Necas another weapon when opposing players try to close off his space, battle him along the boards or disrupt his ability to create with the puck.
Necas also said he felt good coming into camp after what he described as a “great summer,” adding that he was excited to return and “move myself a little higher again.”
That mentality is important. Necas isn't satisfied with reaching 100 points and stopping there.
He wants to get better.
And getting better may mean more than simply finding another level offensively. After establishing himself as one of the NHL's most dangerous forwards, Necas is going to have to deal with a different level of attention every time he touches the puck.
The open ice won't be as forgiving. The hits may come a little harder. Opponents will have even more incentive to make sure Necas doesn't have the time and space to dictate a game.
The 100-point season changed his status.
Now, Necas has spent his summer preparing for what comes with it.
The next step is showing that he can handle everything that comes with being one of Colorado's most important players — including the physical price that may come with it.
