In a late-deadline blockbuster, the San Jose Sharks sent 30-year-old center Tomas Hertl, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick to the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2025 first-round pick and prospect David Edstrom. Hertl’s contract comes at 17 percent retention, putting him at $6.75 million each season.
Hertl is currently on injured reserve, but the hope is that he will be ready by the time the playoffs start in April. What makes this move so huge for the Golden Knights? As for the Sharks, what are they getting back, and how does this move look for them?
Hertl Gives Vegas Sensational Center Depth
What makes this trade ideal for the Golden Knights is that it is an acquisition for both now and the future. He has seven seasons left on his hefty contract, so it’s definitely a big commitment. And it’s one that will give the Golden Knights arguably the best depth at center among any team in the NHL.
Jack Eichel has three seasons left on his contract, William Karlsson has four, and Nicolas Roy has four as well. Clearly, the team is building their offense through the center position. With the salary cap rising to $87.7 million in 2024-25, the Golden Knights will have just over 29 percent of their total salary tied up in these four players.
At this point in his career, what can Hertl bring? Why was Vegas so willing to spend a fortune to acquire him?
Playing with a Sharks team right near the bottom of the NHL standings hasn’t quite helped Hertl produce any offense. The team around him wasn’t all that great, but he did have 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 46 games in 2023-24 on 20:54 of average ice time. Over a full 82-game season, that would place him over the 60-point threshold, one that he reached in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The Sharks’ highest win total since they last made the playoffs in 2018-19 was just 32, so they’ve had plenty of poor campaigns. That doesn’t reflect particularly well on Hertl’s on-ice stats, but they should be taken with a grain of salt considering where the Sharks are as a team. He only had a 44.6 percent expected goals percentage at even strength, but that’s actually sixth on his team among 21 forwards.
Looking at individual numbers, Hertl showed his true colors. Among forwards at even strength, he ranked fifth in goals per 60 minutes, second in primary assists per 60 minutes, and second in total points per 60 minutes on San Jose. In Vegas, he will be playing with improved linemates and better defensemen that can take a bit of a burden off of him. Producing the way that he was in a poor situation is inspiring for the Golden Knights.
Potentially around players like Chandler Stephenson and Anthony Mantha on offense, his production could actually increase despite being due for a decrease in ice time. He had the fourth-most ice time on the penalty kill for the Sharks and the second-most on the power play, so he’s providing a complete game if they need it. That will be huge for the playoffs.
As for the third-round picks, they’re a bit in the future so they can be used as trade bait down the line. If not, Vegas could use them to bolster their prospect core. That wouldn’t be a bad option considering what they gave up in this deal.
Sharks Increase Cap Freedom & Help Farm System
The bad news for the Sharks in this deal is that one of their three possible salary retention slots will be used up through the 2029-30 NHL season. As for the others, one is being used up by Erik Karlsson through the 2026-27 season, while Brent Burns won’t come off the books until after 2024-25. They won’t be able to retain any salary next season.
However, the great news is that the Sharks are quietly assembling an elite farm system. David Edstrom, drafted by the Golden Knights 32nd-overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, is a 6-foot-3 left-handed centerman who could end up being a great third-line player if he pans out.
Related: The NHL’s Best Farm Systems Ranked
In his first post-draft season, Edstrom hasn’t lit up the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) but he does have six goals and 11 assists for 17 points and a plus-9 rating in 42 games. The 19-year-old still has a lot of time to progress into a player worthy of an NHL roster spot. The best thing he has going for him is his size at this point, and that’s something that is immensely valuable. He could easily be molded into a regular NHL player at some point in the future.
As for the first-round pick, that will likely be late in the draft with how strong Vegas is as a team. In their entire history spanning back to 2017-18, they have only missed the playoffs once, finishing with a 43-31-8 record in 2021-22. Defined by success, the Sharks are likely looking at another prospect like Edstrom who doesn’t have high-end potential but could be a valuable piece in the middle or bottom half of the lineup.
In terms of young players, forwards Will Smith and Quentin Musty seem to be leading the way, while defenders Luca Cagnoni and Jack Thompson could end up being good pieces for the Sharks themselves. That’s not even mentioning 21-year-old William Eklund. The key thing is that the Sharks are building up. Not every prospect has to be a star — depth is important, too.
Overall, this is a hard pill to swallow for the Sharks. At just 19 years old, Hertl had a four-goal game for San Jose in 2013-14 — it seemed as though he could be a Shark forever. Now, Vegas will try their best to win him his first-ever Stanley Cup. He has 62 games of playoff experience with 24 goals to go along with that, so he’s familiar with the playoff scenery. The Sharks got draft capital and prospects they need, so with time, it will become clear who won this deal. Both teams got what they needed in this one.
