Hertl Willing to Take Discount to Play for Competitive Team

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Colton Pankiw | Last updated 9/27/21

San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl has had his name discussed a ton by both fans and media over the past month.

It all started when rumors came out suggesting the 27-year-old was unhappy with the Sharks organization and may be looking for a change of scenery. The reasoning for this was reportedly due to how the team failed to discipline his controversial teammate Evander Kane for a number of issues in 2020-21.

Given Kane’s situation now, Hertl seems to have gotten over his frustrations, and appears interested in staying with the team. The problem is that he has just one year remaining on his contract. However, that may not be an issue, as both sides appear willing to discuss an extension. In fact, they may be able to sign him at a discounted price.

“[Joe Thornton] was one of the guys, he could take way more money, but he takes less because he wants a really good team,” Hertl told media. “I like that idea. You can go somewhere else, sign the maximum, even maybe too much, but you’re losing for the next eight years.

“I don’t want to be in this position. I just don’t want to say I will take less and just take it for the team, but I think I’m a little but for that idea.”

Hertl happens to be on a pretty team friendly deal right now, as his current deal carries a cap hit of $5.625 million. With his production the past few seasons, he could certainly be earning more than that, though from the sounds of things he seems to value winning more than money, which has to be exciting news for the Sharks.

The one issue here is that it is clear he wants to play for a competitive team. The Sharks, who are littered with bad contracts at the moment, do not project to be a good team in 2021-22. However, they do have one of the better prospect pipelines throughout the league, meaning they could turn things around in the near future. Whether or not that would be enough to convince Hertl to stick around remains to be seen. If he decides he wants to hit the free agent market, expect him to be moved ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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