San Jose Sharks' Tomas Hertl Out for 'Weeks, Not Days'
San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl is expected to miss “weeks, not days,” after reaggravating his knee in St. Louis, according to CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz.
Tomas Hertl has had a rough go in the NHL when it comes to knee injuries. His phenomenal rookie campaign was cut short after a knee-on-knee collision with Kings forward Dustin Brown, and he missed the majority of last year’s Stanley Cup Finals after a run-in with Pittsburgh’s Patric Hornqvist during game two.
Now, Hertl has appeared to reinjure his same right knee once again.
During the second period of San Jose’s Nov. 17 game in St. Louis, Hertl bumped into Blues forward Jori Lehtera. Early tests have not indicated whether or not surgery will be required for the talented scorer, but further information on his status is expected Monday morning as the Sharks prepare to host New Jersey to begin a five-game homestand.
Nov 5, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (48) controls the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
According to CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz, the 23-year-old power forward from the Czech Republic will likely miss an extended period of time, even in the event that surgery can be avoided.
Source: #SJSharks‘ Tomas Hertl expected to miss weeks, not days, due to injury (via @KKurzCSN) https://t.co/CuEIpF8q5s #NHL #SharksTalk pic.twitter.com/0P4hcOecWh
— CSNAuthentic (@CSNAuthentic) November 20, 2016
The Sharks have hit a bump in the road as of late, dropping three straight contests against subpar competition en route to a 9-8-1 overall record. Sitting above .500 in late November isn’t a terrible place to be by league standards, but aspirations were higher for Teal Nation after returning the core of its roster from last season and adding the speedy Mikkel Boedker into the mix.
Without Hertl, more pressure will be placed on goal leaders Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture to carry the team to greener pastures.
It was all good just a week ago in San Jose. Unfortunately, one of its stars will be spending more time at the pool this season than originally anticipated.
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