The 2016-17 season was a great way to show the NHL what Necas was made of. He started the campaign as the captain of the Czech Republic in the Ivan Hilinka Memorial Tournament and tallied six points in five outings as he led the team to its first gold medal at the tournament that it co-hosts.
Coming off the championship performance, Necas joined the Czech Republic U-20 team to participate in the World Junior Championship where it eventually lost in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Canada. The center finished with three points (goal and two assists) and a plus-2 rating in the five contests at the tournament.
Necas had one last stop on his world tour, playing at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Slovakia, where he racked up three assists in five games. The Czechs fell in the quarterfinals again, this time to Finland, which wound up earning silver in the tournament.
In all three international competitions, his playmaking talents were on full display.
"He has skill, great passing ability. Probably more of a passer than a goal scorer," said Colorado Avalanche director of amateur scouting Alan Hepple of Necas. "Great vision, can make plays through traffic, and that lends itself to his offensive upside of the game."
Former Avs winger in Milan Hejduk comes to mind when looking for a comparison for Necas. Not only is Hejduk a native of the Czech Republic, but his frame is very similar to Necas as well, showing that players do not need to be huge to be a dominant force.
Hejduk's impeccable vision helped him tally 375 goals and 430 assists and finish with an overall plus-101 rating in his 14-year Avalanche career.
Is Necas the next Hejduk? It's too early to tell, but his prolific passing ability accompanied by his strong defensive effort says that the potential is there.
When all is said and done, Necas might contribute in the NHL as a solid passer and a good two-way player. His ability to create scoring chances from all over the ice makes him worthy of his top-five European prospect rating by NHL Central Scouting, and the team that drafts him could have a great addition to its roster for years to come.