San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl made a name for himself in the NHL pretty early on in the season when he scored a fancy between-the-legs breakaway goal against the New York Rangers in a 9-2 victory for the Sharks. Since then, Hertl has become a vital part of the team’s offense, where he’s tied with Joe Pavelski at 15 goals on the season – one behind Patrick Marleau’s 16 – and has added 10 assists for fifth on the team in points. He leads all rookies in the NHL in scoring with 25 points.
Unfortunately, it looks like Hertl will miss the next month of action, and likely more, after undergoing he undergoes right knee surgery next week to repair damage sustained in a knee-to-knee collision with LA Kings forward Dustin Brown last Thursday. Brown received a major penalty and a game misconduct for the hit.
Sharks GM Doug Wilson said the team will know more about Hertl’s status and expected return date after the operation. The injury does virtually eliminate Hertl from being medically cleared in time to represent the Czech Republic in the upcoming Winter Olympics in February.
Wilson also expressed his disappointment with the apparent lack of concern from the Kings organization, and Brown specifically, on the injury to Hertl.
“When I was a rookie, I was tripped into a net in Hartford by the great Gordie Howe and carried off the ice,” Wilson said. “He came in between periods, all around the rink to make sure I was OK. So my response to the lack of concern toward our player is disappointing.”
He also noted that Maxim Lapierre expressed concern about Dan Boyle’s health when the Blues forward illegally knocked him face-first into the boards, as did Raffi Torres last spring after he injured Kings forward Jarrett Stoll in the playoffs.
The Sharks are currently 23-8-6 on the season with 52 points. The team sits in fifth place in a very tightly contested Western Conference.
