One of the biggest question marks at this year’s Trade Deadline will undoubtedly be the availability of star San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, who will be a pending unrestricted free agent this offseason. Despite an early-season surge, the Sharks aren’t likely to be in the playoff picture and although Hertl’s voiced his desire to stay in San Jose if the team doesn’t feel an extension is reachable, he could be on his way out for a nice return. However, while those contract talks have started, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the team hasn’t made an official extension offer to Hertl as the deadline is now just one month away. Pagnotta speculates that the Sharks should extend an official offer to Hertl within the next week or two, giving them an abbreviated timeframe to decide on whether or not to trade him.
Some more notes on this Monday night:
- Eyebrows rose across the internet when a video of Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon seemingly slashing a linesman on the legs after the opening faceoff of their game today against Boston went viral. However, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet 590 says that he was told NHL hockey operations and officials investigated the incident, and no further discipline will be handed to MacKinnon for the play. That’s great for the Avs, who have already been without MacKinnon for chunks of time this season as injuries have limited him to 35 games.
- Also according to Pagnotta, the New Jersey Devils could be active at the Trade Deadline, but not necessarily as a stereotypical seller. General manager Tom Fitzgerald could look to make a traditional asset-for-asset type of deal, and that’s not entirely surprising. The team’s been linked, by multiple reports, in recent days to the Vancouver Canucks, and could look to acquire either one of Conor Garland or Brock Boeser to improve the team’s waning depth on the wings.
It’s that time of year again when teams and players like Hertl and the Sharks should just agree to a deal in principle that can become official in the offseason. Trade him, get assets, then come back in July. Hertl gets his chance at a cup run and then can come back and play with the pieces he otherwise wouldn’t have. No downside at all if there is a good amount of trust between the Sharks and Hertl.
I feel like people say this all of the time across the 4 major sports, but more often than not, the player who gets traded away doesn’t come back. When’s the last time that actually happened? (esp in regards to a player of Hertl’s caliber)
Off the top of my head, the last time I remember was 2006 when the Canes rented Weight and Recchi and IIRC both went back to their old teams.
More recently Aroldis Chapman in ’16 with Yankess.
But you’re right it gets talked about more than it actually happens.
So, the NHL ruled that it’s OK to injure officials if your actual intent is to injure a player?
Wow no suspension for slashing a linesman? I don’t care if he meant to hit someone else or not. Players get penalties in every game because they meant to do something other than what they did. If this was a scrub it would be a minimum of 10 games
The reason he gets nothing, IMO is the same as why Mackinnon got no suspension fir a cheap shot to the head of Patrick. That exact same hit by a “non star” (in the leagues mind) would be automatic suspension.
I can guarantee you if Marchand had of done that he’d have gotten 20 games. even a non star player with no history of incidents would have gotten a significant suspension. But because it’s one of the faces of the game it is swept under the rug. I used to be an avid hockey fan but I refuse to even watch the highlights anymore. As a Canadian who grew up playing and watching hockey it’s kind of sad.
You refuse to even watch the highlights, but you are qualified to weigh in on a play you refuse to have seen? Oh yeah, and you’re definitely still a voice to be listened to while you troll the message boards of a sport you refuse to watch. That’s some sound logic.
Does anyone understand the Hamilton contract?