SAN JOSE – Former San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl was a little bit interested in what type of reception he would receive upon his return to SAP Center on Friday night.
While Hertl became considered one of the Sharks' hottest and productive players during his 11 seasons in a teal jersey, he also returned – for the primary time – as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose's once bitter rival.
“I believe the rivalry has died down a bit, but hopefully it is going to be good. I believe it's been a pleasant 11 years,” Hertl said Friday morning when asked how he would be received. “But maybe it’s up to the fans now. (There’s) nothing I can really do about it right now.”
The response should be positive, considering Hertl had 484 points in 712 regular-season games for the Sharks before joining the Golden Knights in March. Team officials plan to recognize Hertl for his time in San Jose with a pregame tribute similar to those they gave long-time Sharks Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns in their first games in San Jose.
But while Hertl's time with the Sharks will not be forgotten, his departure from San Jose may have left a complicated legacy.
Hertl could have elected to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022. Instead, he signed an eight-year, $65.1 contract extension with the Sharks, hoping that the team's fortunes would quickly change after – at that point – three years without a free agent playoff appearance.
The Sharks also had not considered trade offers for Hertl this year and were hoping he could be an organizational pillar as they were still in a transition phase.
However, less than four months after the deal, the Sharks hired Mike Grier as their new general manager. Grier knew he had to rebuild the team from the ground up so the Sharks could become Stanley Cup contenders again.
That meant taking a step back for the opportunity to draft future stars with lottery picks. Grier also traded away some high-profile players on long-term contracts like Burns, Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson to acquire prospects, free up capital and free up valuable cap space.
When speaking about Hertl and captain Logan Couture at the start of 2023 training camp, Grier said, “If there ever was a time where they felt like they needed or desired to go someplace else, I might definitely take heed to it.” , and if it made sense to us, I would explore it.”
Some of Tomas Hertl pic.twitter.com/rVUtnj0vxY
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) December 27, 2024
While Couture, who’s injured and out indefinitely, stays a Shark, Hertl, who appeared within the playoffs in five of his first six NHL seasons, knew at that time that it could possibly be years before he could legally compete for a Cup again could fight. He needed to make a call.
Ultimately, Hertl, who had a full release clause for the primary three years of his contract, decided it was best to maneuver on and join a competitor. As of Friday, the Golden Knights were leading the Pacific Division and the Sharks were in eighth and final place.
“Right away, I couldn’t say a single bad word about the organization, about my teammates in the locker room, how they welcomed me into the team, even about the fans around the city,” Hertl said. “Of course, when you win a lot of hockey games, everything becomes pretty easy. To be honest, over the last few years I've almost forgotten how much fun it is to win a lot of games.
“The last few years (in San Jose) have been pretty tough. When you're one of the leaders and you're trying to help but victory doesn't happen, it's not easy. So that’s definitely the fun part.”
It seems that Grier and Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon began talking a few Hertl deal before the All-Star break, and on March 7, just minutes before the deadline, the Sharks sent away the No. 1 centerman .1 in addition to third-round picks in 2025 and 2027 to Vegas for center prospect David Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick.
“I just heard from my agent, maybe in January before I got hurt, that (Vegas) was thinking about trading for me, but nothing happened,” said Hertl, who previously injured his knee on Jan. 27 was injured in the sport against the Buffalo Sabres.
Hertl attended the NHL All-Star Game in Toronto and a number of days before the deadline, trade talks between the Sharks and Golden Knights resumed.
To make this possible, Hertl then needed to waive his no-trade clause.
“Obviously no one can guarantee you'll win the Stanley Cup, but I thought there was a chance (with Vegas) and I just want to take it and try to fight for it.”
Hertl has several friends throughout the Sharks organization and still cheers for the team.
“After our games, I’ll always be cheering for them because I’ve been here for so long and I want them to obviously do better and turn this team around,” Hertl said. “But at the time I felt like it might be my last chance and I was happy that both sides could figure it out and work it out and I could move.”
Originally published:
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