Fans Blast Avalanche After Giving Martin Necas $92 Million Instead of Re-Signing Rantanen

Last season was full of shocking moves in the NHL, but perhaps none were more surprising than when the Colorado Avalanche decided to trade star winger Mikko Rantanen to Carolina, landing Jack Drury and Martin Necas as they key pieces of a return.

Now, less than 12 months later, the team have handed Necas a massive extension, with Elliotte Friedman reporting the eight-year, $11.5 million AAV deal becoming official on Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, plenty of fans on social media were excited about the deal, as Necas has been stellar since arriving in Colorado, tallying 18 goals and 41 points in 41 games since arriving.

However, many couldn't help but notice how the team could have had Rantanen on a long-term extension for just $500k or $1 million more than Necas, with many seeing it as a shocking missed opportunity for Colorado.

Some fans though believe that Necas' youth (26 vs. 29 years of age) were a major factor in this move, with Colorado now getting more years out of Necas' prime than they would for Rantanen.

Ultimately, whether or not this deal turns out to be a good one for Colorado, the talking points around Rantanen will continue on for years to come with the Avalanche, but given how good he's been alongside Nathan MacKinnon, it's safe to say that the team are happy with how things are going with Necas so far.