While the Golden Knights acquired Tomas Hertl at last seasons NHL trade deadline the Prague, Czechia native only played in six regular season games. Now fully healthy, Knights are banking on Hertl to produce

Last season the Golden Knights shocked the hockey world, acquiring Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks just before the final buzzer sounded prior to the 3PM Eastern deadline.

Heading into the day, there was no inkling that Hertl was available or being shopped. Hertl, 30, was only in year two of an eight year contract that he signed with San Jose in the Summer of 2022. At the time of the trade, Hertl was injured, just playing in 48 games for the Sharks. The Knights had him on LTIR until he made his debut for the Knights on April 8th against the Vancouver Canucks. Hertl went on to play in 5 additional regular season games for the Knights, plus 7 playoff games.

Being that Hertl was only in the Vegas lineup for just 6 regular season games, in a way Hertl can be viewed as an off-season addition this summer for the Knights. The Knights certainly are hoping now that Hertl is fully healthy, he can be the player that the Knights envisioned when they traded for him. After losing six regulars at the forward position the Knights are going to need Hertl’s production to help off-set the losses.

How Hertl will be deployed is the question. While Hertl is a natural center, the Knights have centers in Jack Eichel and William Karlsson at the center ice position. It is certainly possible the head coach Bruce Cassidy could use Hertl on the wing, and use Nicolas Roy, another natural center, as the teams 3rd line pivot.

However Hertl is used, it’s expected now that he is healthy and getting a full training camp under his belt as a Golden Knight that he will provide the Knights with the type of offensive production that made him a star player in San Jose.

In 718 career games, Hertl has scored 220 goals, adding 268 assists and 488 points.