Not even Tomas Hertl’s mother was aware that he was going to be traded beforehand.
The San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights were able to retain what may have been the most surprising deal of the year in this way.
However, now that the secret is out, Hertl’s enormous smile has returned as well.
Hertl has endured a difficult five years in San Jose following the Sharks’ previous postseason appearance in 2019.
You’re out [of the playoffs] after the season. It’s getting harder and harder every year, especially this year,” Hertl told the media in Vegas today.
From the 2019 Western Conference Finals to middling also-rans to among the worst teams of the salary cap era this season, the Sharks have seen a dramatic transformation.
Hertl was expecting for a swift turnaround rather than a rebuild when he signed an eight-year, $65.1 million agreement with the San Jose Sharks in March 2022.
But when that failed to materialize, Hertl—who had a complete No-Movement Clause—left the only place he had ever called home in his ten-year NHL career to join the Sharks’ fiercest rivals.
Hertl admitted that leaving San Jose was difficult, but she couldn’t refuse. “I believe I still have a lot to offer, and San Jose is in a different place now that I’m in my 30s.”
That was made very clear by the standings and Hertl’s initial entry into the defending champions’ locker room. Hertl, who had minor knee surgery recently, says he plans to return to the ice in two weeks to begin strengthening up for the start of the postseason.
I was so accustomed to being the tallest guy when I first met all the guys. He added, half-joking, half-seriously, “I would come here and everybody’s the same height, even taller.” “Having good skill and powerful, big guys is a big thing when it comes to the playoffs and when it matters.”
For supporters of the San Jose Sharks, it must feel a lot like Derek Jeter leaving the New York Yankees for the Boston Red Sox during his peak.
However, Hertl should quickly feel at home in Vegas. From 2015 to 2018, he was a player for the Sharks for the Golden Knights assistant coach Joel Ward. Ward’s wife is close to his wife, Aneta.
“Things change,” Hertl remarked, acknowledging that, in keeping with human nature, he has been searching for better opportunities since last summer. And who was to blame for him?
“I always think that Vegas is a great team, and it would be exciting to play for them.”
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