“It’s important for him to be with his teammates and in this environment,” coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after practice. “When we were away, he already skated a little here by himself. I think it’s great for him to be involved in everything like this and see how everything goes, how we train. He’s benefiting from it and he’s getting closer to a return,” Cassidy added.
Hertl told overseas reporters before mid-March that he believed he could be back on skates in about two weeks. “I just need to make sure my condition is 100 percent,” he said at the time. Hertl last played in the NHL All-Star Game finals in early February, and a few days later underwent knee surgery to clean out the cartilage.
It is not yet clear when he will be ready for the match. The defending champions of the Stanley Cup still have eight games to play in the regular season, and thanks to their improved performances of late, they are consolidating their position in the playoffs. They welcome Vancouver on Wednesday night. “I don’t know when he will play, but it won’t be the next game. He’s still in the red (non-contact jersey), so we’ll see how it goes,” Cassidy said.
On March 8, Hertl changed his place of work in the NHL for the first time. During his eleventh season with the Sharks, he was tied to an eight-year contract until 2030 at $65.1 million.
This year, the bronze medalist from last year’s World Championship scored 34 points for 15 goals and 19 assists in 48 games. In 2012, the Sharks selected Slavia Prague in the 1st round of the draft in 17th place. In the NHL, he played 712 games and collected 484 points for 218 goals and 266 assists.
In the playoffs, he scored 42 points on 24 hits and 18 assists in 62 games. In 2016, he played in the finals of the Stanley Cup, after which he rejoiced in the triumph of Pittsburgh. Mainly because of the desire for the cup, Hertl gave the nod to the exchange to Vegas.
