Tomáš Hertl is a little closer to returning. On Monday, he appeared on the ice for the first time with his new teammates from the Vegas Golden Knights. He was only wearing a non-contact jersey, but it’s still a significant shift.
After all, it was the dream team’s first practice for the Warriors that saw the Golden Knights pull off the biggest upset of the final moments of the transfer deadline as they completed a trade with their division rivals. The trade that sent Hertl from the San Jose Sharks to the Golden Knights literally shocked the hockey world.
Hertl underwent knee surgery in February and played only 48 games this season. In them, he scored 15 goals and 34 points.
Skating in a non-contact jersey means the Golden Knights won’t be available for the next few games, but things are moving in the right direction.
The Golden Knights are unlikely to rush him back into the lineup, and he will need to complete at least one contact practice before being included in the lineup.
“It’s important for him to get his bearings in a new environment, including with his new teammates,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said after Monday’s practice. “During our trip, he already skated by himself. It’s great for him to participate in the preparation with others, to see how it looks here and how we train. We are getting closer to returning together.”
The Golden Knights are currently third in the Pacific Division and all indications are that they will be playing in the playoffs in which they will try to follow up on last year’s Stanley Cup.
Another duel awaits the team from Nevada on Wednesday night against Vancouver. But Hertl will definitely not intervene in that yet.
“We don’t know the exact date of the return, but it won’t be in the next game,” Cassidy confirmed. “He’s in a non-contact jersey for now and we’ll see how it goes.”
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