The San Jose Sharks’ already disappointing season is taking a turn for the worse. The team just announced that their All-Star center Tomas Hertl underwent surgery on his left knee and will be out for at least “several weeks”.
Hertl said that he has been experiencing issues with his knee throughout the season but tried to play through it. However, as the issue became more persistent, the 30-year-old player opted to get the procedure done in order to “return to 100 percent as soon as possible”.
Hertl hasn’t played for the Sharks since a 2-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on January 27. He did, however, make an appearance at the NHL All-Star game at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena earlier this month, spending 12 minutes on the ice.
“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 percent as soon as possible,” Hertl said in a statement provided by the team. “I look forward to returning to the ice and getting back with my teammates as soon as I can.”
Hertl, who received his second career All-Star nod in 2024, has been the Sharks’ best player this season. In 48 games played, he recorded 15 goals and 19 assists for a total of 34 points.
The Sharks are currently in the running to have the worst record in the league at 14-32-5, which would give them the best odds for the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
