San Jose Sharks Season Review: Tomas Hertl
What a difference a year makes.
After bursting on to the national landscape during his rookie year, Tomas Hertl endured a sophomore slump during his 2014-15 season with the San Jose Sharks.
Hertl, who is still just 21-years-old, bounced around the lineup as he couldn’t replicate the impact he was able to have on the Sharks as he did during his rookie campaign. Hertl appeared to be slowed by the knee injury which cost him a majority of his season inaugural season in San Jose.
In those 37 games in 2013-14, Hertl was able to score 15 goals and 10 assists, while being a plus-11. Hertl led the team in points per 60 minutes with a 2.54 mark, had a Corsi For percentage of 55.7 percent, and took the NHL by storm by scoring four goals against the New York Rangers in early October. Some pretty staggering numbers by a rookie who was also learning English.
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Now part of his success was due to the fact that he was playing alongside Joe Thornton and Brent Burns, but Tomas Hertl proved to have a knack for protecting the puck and burying his chances when they came.
However, Hertl wasn’t the same player last season and he didn’t appear to have his speed and strength fully back. On the positive side, Hertl was able to play in all 82 games and ranked fifth on the team with a Corsi For percentage of 54.2.
On the other hand, Hertl couldn’t match his goal-scoring total from his rookie season, netting only 13 goals and 31 points while be a minus-five. Not the kind of production San Jose was looking for as they struggled to score goals at points during the season. The Sharks ranked 22nd in the league in 5-on-5 scoring, and part of that was due to the downtick from Hertl.
Now the good news for Sharks fans is that Hertl will have a full offseason of being able to train and regain the strength in his lower body. Also, heading into his third season, Hertl knows what to expect from an 82-game season and should be better equipped to handle the grind.
Peter DeBoer will have an interesting choice to make on where he slots Tomas Hertl in the lineup. After trading Jame Sheppard to the Rangers, general manager Doug Wilson said the move was made to give Hertl some time at center, but that never really materialized.
Will DeBoer give Hertl that chance, perhaps centering the third line or will he keep Hertl on the wing? Now if he decides to keep Hertl on the wing, does he put him next to Thornton again where he had his most success or does he opt to try to balance out his lineup by placing Hertl on the second-or-third line?
All fascinating questions because San Jose will need the best from Tomas Hertl if they want to be a true Stanley Cup contender. Hertl possesses a unique skill set and a deft scoring touch that was lacking from the Sharks a season ago.
Next year will be a big one for Hertl as he attempts to show whether he’s more like the rookie who burst on to the scene or the second-year player who struggled to find his way.
Next: San Jose Sharks 2014-15 Review: Joe Thornton