Tomas Hertl returns to San Jose as a visitor on Friday.
The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline saw some expected moves but no massive shocks for the most part. That was until the final minutes of the deadline when the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights stunned the hockey world. The Sharks traded Tomas Hertl to the Golden Knights in exchange for David Edstrom, a 2025 first-round pick, and two third-round picks.
The trade came out of left field for many people, especially since Hertl was injured at the time. Now, the Golden Knights star is healthy and playing well in the Sin City. On Friday, he returns to San Jose as a visitor. It's a game he has had circled on his calendar for a while. And he mentioned feeling excited even though he knows it will be an emotional night.
“The feeling will get me when I get there, even at the morning skate and stuff like that,” Hertl told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday. “I’m pretty excited to come back, but at the same time, it’s going to be a little weird. I was there for 11 years. I was never in the visiting room. Now, I’m coming to the rink like an outsider.”
Tomas Hertl led the Sharks to the brink of glory
Tomas Hertl, as mentioned, played 11 years for the Sharks before his trade to the Golden Knights. And those years were filled with some incredible highs. For example, he played a rather integral role in San Jose's run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. The Sharks went on to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins that season.
Hertl took a more prominent role in 2019 when the Sharks went to the Western Conference Finals. However, they came up short once again. San Jose lost to the St. Louis Blues, who went on to defeat the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final.
After that, the Sharks went on the decline. Hertl remained a rather consistent player, but an injury took much of the 2023-24 season from him. He only played 54 games last year, six of which came with the Golden Knights. He played more Stanley Cup Playoff games (seven) with Vegas than he did regular season games.
The veteran pivot is playing his first full season with the Golden Knights, and he's played well. Hertl has 10 goals and 24 points through 34 games to this point in the season. This puts him on pace for 24 goals and 58 points in the 2024-25 campaign.
The Sharks are working through a rebuild. And Hertl mentioned keeping an eye on the team after the trade. This is why he knows this won't be an easy game by any stretch, even with the teams at the opposite ends in the standings.
“I know they’re playing better, and it definitely won’t be an easy game, but I definitely want to have a good game there and enjoy, hopefully, a good reception from the fans,” Hertl told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday.
