Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 10 Martin Necas
By Austin Owens
As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Martin Necas, who is the top Czech forward on the board and has drawn comparisons to Claude Giroux.
The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.
This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.
We last looked at Owen Tippett. Today, we profile Martin Necas, the top-rated Czech forward and the 10th-ranked prospect on our board.
Necas started the season with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga. He started in the team’s system in 2014-15 with their U-16 team.
His first crack with the senior team went well. On a team that featured Martin Erat and Tomas Vincour, Necas had a good season, scoring 15 points in 41 games.
Here’s what Future Considerations had to say about Necas:
"A strong offensive minded centre…has explosive, darting speed and can duck and dodge with impressive lateral agility…wins races to loose pucks regularly…dangerous when in possession of the puck and screaming down the wing with speed…can both make a play to an open teammate or just drive the puck towards the net himself…is creative seeing the ice well and displaying good timing on his passes…has good strength on the puck although he could improve his body strength overall…is creative possessing smooth hands and ability to pull off some dekes at high speed…his shot jumps off his stick quickly and can surprise with its velocity…has a strong work ethic and does many little things right to contribute…shows good smarts as he leads the rush up ice and dissects the defense before making his play…has some room to grow physically."
Necas captained the Czech’s at the under-18 World Championships. He had three assists in the tournament.
His more impressive performance, however, came at the 2017 World Juniors. Necas was all over the ice and proved he can be a good centre at the next level.
Brno won the championship in Extraliga, beating Bílí Tygři Liberec. Necas provided a decent contribution to the team.
Necas looks as though he will be returning to Brno next season. So a team can grab him and let him develop overseas, until he’s ready to jump to North American pro hockey.
Next: Leafs sign Calle Rosen & Andreas Borgman
What’s your take on Necas? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted 10th overall, or is this too high or low? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section.