The San Jose Sharks announced today that Tomas Hertl has a knee injury requiring surgery. General Manager Mike Grier released a statement that the procedure will clean up loose cartilage in Hertl’s left knee. There is no specific timetable for his return just that Hertl will miss a minimum of several weeks.
#SJSharks update on Tomáš Hertl: pic.twitter.com/OVre6dG0Ak
— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) February 12, 2024
Tomas Hertl to Miss Several Weeks Following Surgery for Knee Injury
The Tomas Hertl injury hurts the team. He is getting it done in 2023-24 for the San Jose Sharks, despite the team’s horrendous record. Hertl is currently leading the Sharks in points (34), and goals (15) as well. Furthermore, he is second on the entire team in ice time at 20:54, behind only defenceman Mario Ferraro. Moreover, he was the team’s All-Star representative. Hertl has been a consistent producer for some time now. Going back to the 2018-19 season, he has ranged between 0.71 to 0.96 PPG. He is an important offensive piece for any team potentially but especially on the Sharks current roster.
What Is the Big Picture Here for the Sharks?
Now not there have been too many raving rumours surrounding Tomas Hertl, but teams would want to add his services. Does this complicate things? It seems like Grier is trying his best chess moves when suggesting a “minimum of several weeks.” If nothing else, for teams looking to add Hertl, he would be worth taking a flyer on, in case he can return for playoff hockey. Conversely, you cannot simply add Hertl as a rental. He is signed for $8 M per year until the end of the 2028-29 campaign. Therefore, a team needs to be addressing a specific long-term need, while also assuming a fair bit of risk. Hertl is 30 years old, and you’d have to think would be overvalued at the end of that contract.
Main photo: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
