Upbeat Tomas Hertl is all smiles heading into his first full season with the Golden Knights
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights veteran forward Tomas Hertl’s jovial personality has been known to be the highlight of a locker room.
Spending most of his 11-year career in San Jose, it was rare the 30-year-old wasn't wearing a smile.
Now, set for his first full campaign in Vegas, it’s the combination of his upbeat persona and offensive prowess that everyone hopes will help lead the Knights on another deep run in the postseason.
“Here’s a guy who has spent his whole career in San Jose and now all of a sudden he’s thrown in a whole new mix,” said forward Jack Eichel. “He’s trying to establish himself with what has made him so successful as a player and now he’s trying to fit in with our group.
"Anyone who knows him knows he’s a phenomenal human being, and he fit in right away off the ice.”
Hertl reported to Las Vegas shortly after the Sharks traded him on March 8, still recovering from knee surgery he had roughly one month earlier.
And while it was only a small sample size after playing the final six regular season games and the first round of the playoffs for Vegas, coach Bruce Cassidy knew what to anticipate after his team's rather long summer vacation.
”(He is) so much farther ahead of last year simply because of the situation he was put in when he got here, coming off a major surgery and not knowing his linemates very well,” Cassidy said. “It was a tough adjustment. I think the summer’s probably done him as much good as anybody on the team in terms of getting himself healthy. And now training camp will help them build some chemistry with whatever line he lands on.”
Through two days of camp at the team’s facility, Hertl has centered a line between Nicolas Roy and Alexander Holtz.
And, yes, it’s apparent the two-time All-Star is still getting accustomed to his linemates while finding his groove back on the ice, but Hertl said he isn't concerned about who Cassidy aligns him with on opening night of the season.
It's all about contributing to his role. And, he believes that starts in the locker room.
“When the team is together, everybody is pulling for one rope, and nobody playing for the points or anything, just all 23 guys play together, that’s how you can win the games,” the Prague native said Wednesday, donning his trademark smile. “And right away when I get here ... I knew it from day one, this is fun team and guys having great time, making jokes around ... I want to be part of it and make it even better.”
Hertl will undoubtedly be one of the skaters who will shoulder the scoring burden now that Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson — who both ranked top five on the team with points last season — are skating in Nashville and Seattle, respectively.
After 11 seasons, Hertl averages 20 goals and 24 assists per season. His 44.3 career points per season average would have ranked seventh on the Golden Knights last season.
“Obviously, he is a really good player in this league, and I think we have kind of two similar games as well,” Roy said. “I think we’re both reliable defensively, so we can play against the best lines. But he’s a big body. He’s protecting the puck well, he’s really good in front of the net, so it’ll be fun to see how it goes.”
Hertl was categorically among the top group of offensive playmakers with the Sharks, and by establishing himself as a key figure in the Knights locker room, and in Cassidy’s lineup, Hertl is sure to become the same fan-favorite in Vegas as he was in San Jose.
“I would expect him to come in and be the Tomas Hertl that we’ve seen for however many years he’s been playing,” Eichel said. “I think we have a ton of confidence in him, and I know he had a huge summer of training and trying to get himself back. It’s not easy to come off an injury. I think he’s going to be a huge part of our team this year.”
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