Sharks’ Alternate Captain to be Sidelined ‘Several Weeks’ Following Knee Surgery
San Jose Sharks alternate captain Tomas Hertl will be sidelined for several weeks after undergoing a clean-up procedure to remove loose cartilage in his left knee, the club announced Monday.
There isn’t an immediate timeline for Hertl’s return, as the Sharks plan to monitor his rehab process before providing additional updates on his status. The 30-year-old said in a statement he’d been experiencing left knee soreness “on and off” this season.
Hertl, who missed the last two games leading up to this month’s All-Star Game in Toronto, was San Jose’s lone representative during the 2nd appearance of his career, and first since 2020.
“Due to the nature of this injury, the Sharks were completely comfortable with Tomas’ decision to participate in the All-Star Weekend, and we respect his decision to have this procedure done now,” Sharks GM Mike Grier said in a statement.
The Sharks are expected to place Hertl on injured reserve shortly, opening a spot on their active roster.
Prior to the league’s All-Star break, Hertl spoke with the team’s medical staff regarding the severity of his ailment and was informed he could participate in the events, including the 3-on-3 games, without risking further injury.
“After speaking with doctors and our medical staff earlier this year, it was clear that the injury was not going to get any worse and I could continue to play through it, including attending the NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto,” Hertl said.
“After returning from Toronto and having additional conversations with my family and our team medical staff over the last week, I made the decision to have this procedure done now so that I can return to 100% as soon as possible. I look forward to returning to the ice and getting back with my teammates as soon as I can.”
The veteran forward last played – excluding the All-Star Game – in a 5-2 loss against the Buffalo Sabres on January 27th, logging nearly 17 minutes while registering only one shot on goal in the defeat. He leads all Sharks skaters in goals and points with 15 and 34, respectively.
Additionally, Hertl has averaged 20:54 minutes per night across 48 contests in 2023-24 – the highest ice-time total of his 11 NHL seasons.
A 17th overall selection in 2012, the 6-foot-3 winger has scored 218 goals and 484 points over 712 career games, all with San Jose. He’s appeared in 62 playoff contests, notching 24 goals and 42 points – 15 of which he scored during the franchise’s run to the Western Conference Final in 2019.
The native of Prague, Czechia, is in the second season of an eight-year, $65.1-million contract signed in 2022. It includes a cap hit of roughly $8.13 million per season and a full no-move clause through 2024-25, converting to a modified no-trade list over the final five seasons.
Hertl will provide a docket of three clubs he can’t be traded to between 2025-28. After that point, beginning in 2028-29, he can block trades to 15 teams league-wide.
The Sharks, who sit just two points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks for the sport’s worst record, will return Wednesday from their bye week with a matchup versus the Winnipeg Jets.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Jenn G. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.