Since being traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Vegas Golden Knights, Tomas Hertl has had two chances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, both of which resulted in early exits.
Due to his no-move clause in his contract, Hertl had complete control of the move. While the Golden Knights were his decision, it is important to remember that the Sharks did their due diligence in finding a trade partner.
“One, I don’t think there was a better return out there than the one we got,” Grier explained after the 2024 NHL trade deadline. “Two, there were some feelers put out about it. When you look at the term and the money involved, even with the cap going up, it’s not an easy contract for teams to take on. We felt like this was a good time. Tomas himself thought that it was a good opportunity for him.”
Vegas set itself up for success in the 2025 Playoffs. They finished first in the Pacific and faced a true wild card team in the Minnesota Wild. Then, they woefully lost in five games to the Edmonton Oilers.
When Hertl returned to SAP Center to face the San Jose Sharks for the first time, he opened up about why he approved the trade to VGK.
“The time that the offer came, I just couldn’t say no, because I think I’m still in my prime. I can help teams win hockey games. Vegas is in a great spot with a great team,” Hertl said. “I couldn’t say no, because nobody can obviously guarantee you a Stanley Cup. But there’s a chance, and I just want to grab it and try to fight for it.”
After two attempts, albeit one with Hertl fully healthy, the Golden Knights haven’t been close to reaching even the Western Conference Final.
Is the Stanley Cup window closing for the Golden Knights?
When the San Jose Sharks traded Hertl, the center was 30 years old and had six years remaining on his contract. While the former Sharks fan favorite is producing well, there’s only so long a player of his style can put up numbers.
In 73 games this season, Hertl had 32 goals and 29 assists. Hertl scored 22 goals in the final 35 games he played.
Looking at the rest of the roster, the Golden Knights have their defense core locked up for the future. The problem with the players there are their age, led by Alex Pietrangelo at 35.
The veteran d-man still has two more years of an $8 million AAV deal left. Noah Hanifin and Zach Whitecloud are 28 and have multiple years left on their contracts. Whitecloud’s $2.75 million AAV is a bargain, however.
Shea Theodore is 29 and has had multiple injury problems in his career. His AAV will jump from $5.2 million to $7.425 million in 25-26. He won’t be an unrestricted free agent until 2032.
The Vegas Golden Knights don’t have a first-round pick in the 2025 or 2026 NHL Drafts, while the Sharks have four (two in 2025, two in 2026).
Vegas has either traded away the pick or the prospect selected in the first round, except for their 2024 selection, Trevor Connelly.
High-cap hits mixed with long-term deals seem like a window that is still open, yes, but closing soon. Not to mention No. 1 center Jack Eichel has one year remaining on his $10 million AAV deal.
Hertl’s trade return helped the Sharks acquire key players for the future
While two deals were made, the San Jose Sharks effectively acquired Yaroslav Askarov for Tomas Hertl.
The Sharks acquired David Edstrom and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. San Jose later flipped Edstrom, the pick, and goalie Magnus Chrona to the Nashville Predators to acquire Askarov.
The 22-year-old projects to be the Sharks’ goalie of the future. This season, he was an AHL All-Star and carried the San Jose Barracuda to a second-round exit at the Calder Cup Playoffs.
GM Mike Grier also made good business at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Grier was able to reacquire a second first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft by sending Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Stars.
Grier wasn’t done building the Sharks’ draft pick stock either. Jake Walman was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2026 first-round pick.
Hertl recognized the Sharks’ situation and felt the return would help the team, so he agreed to leave.
“They’re going full rebuild. They now have great players [like Macklin Celebrini]. He’s on the rise, and hopefully, [he will] turn this organization around,” Hertl said when he returned in December 2024. “I still follow [the Sharks]. After [my] games, I’m watching the Sharks. I still have friends here. After our game, I will always be cheering for them because I was here for so long and want to see them do better and turn this team around. At that time, I felt it could be my last chance, and I was happy that both sides figured [something] out and worked it out, and I could move.”
While the return Hertl provided the Sharks isn’t the same today as when the trade went down, he’s right. The Sharks appear to have their goalie position set for years to come.
Hertl and the Vegas Golden Knights still have a Stanley Cup Window, but how open is it? The San Jose Sharks look like their window is beginning to unlock, but it’s not open yet.
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