Tomas Hertl is going to be out for a while.
The San Jose Sharks announced today that Hertl, their All-Star and leading scorer, would undergo surgery to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee.
“He is expected to miss a minimum of several weeks but the exact timetable is still to be determined based on the findings of the procedure and his rehabilitation,” San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier said in a team press release. “We will monitor his progress during the rehab process and provide an update on his status at a later date.”
The timing of this news is strange, considering that Hertl played in the All-Star Game in Toronto on Feb. 3. He did miss the two games before the break.
“I have been experiencing soreness in my left knee on and off this season. 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.”
Grier echoed Hertl: “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.”
The 14-32-5 San Jose Sharks are the second-worst team in the NHL, and it sounds like Hertl could play through this injury if there was more to play for. As it stands, losing Hertl is great news for the Sharks’ chances to end up with the best odds for the first-overall pick of the 2024 Draft.
This will be Hertl’s second surgery on his left knee, just another in a long history of knee troubles.
In 2013, Hertl has surgery on a torn right MCL and PCL. Hertl also had a minor procedure on his right knee in 2016-17.
In 2020, Hertl had surgery on a torn left MCL and PCL.
Good thing, this sounds more along the lines of Hertl’s 2016-17 procedure, which still sidelined him for two months.
“I look forward to returning to the ice and getting back with my teammates as soon as I can,” he said.
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