Three potential trade destinations for Tomas Hertl if the Sharks decide to trade him
Tomas Hertl is reportedly having conversations about the future of the San Jose Sharks organization and wondering if he is being viewed as part of the answer to rebuild this great teal empire. At the age of 30 and signed long term for a lot of money, Hertl is not in the right stage of his career to endure a rebuld. He needs to be competing and it does feel like the Sharks are not going to be near that for a long time.
The flipside of Hertl's term is that teams will pay more knowing he will be there for the foreseeable future, and this might be the best time to trade Hertl. With Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan already on new teams, the already-thin market at the center position is weaker than ever, and the desperation of the teams that missed out on the two larger targets may shift to players with term, even if the fit is less than ideal at the time.
Teams exploring the center market will be looking to try and find a way to make their team better if it means that they can get to the Stanley Cup and add a banner to the rafters, since this is what every team wants to do. Even the San Jose Sharks are trying to build for the future where they want to win the Stanley Cup with a new core. It's important that teams remember the goal, even when times are dark in the land of hockey.
With that in mind, who could be interested in the Czech forward, if Mike Grier does choose to make him available? Well, let's have a look. What teams have the need for a center that could do with a long term solution in that position and are in a position to use assets to address it at the trade deadline? It rules out teams like the Chicago Blackhawks who are deep in a rebuild like the Sharks.
Boston Bruins
An organization stripped barron by retirements from its old guard, the Boston Bruinsare defying the preseason expectations as the continue to fight for the Stanley Cup. A proud original six franchise, the Bruins are still trying to compete with the rest of the top teams in the NHL, and may be looking for help down the middle in their current situation. They are always open to bolstering their roster, and the Sharks may be a trade partner.
Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci called time on their long NHL careers during the summer, and brought an end to a lot of the old guard that won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins back in 2011. You can never replace the six time Selke Trophy winner who dominated the league as the top defensive forward for many years, but they do need to try and find a way to strengthen their team down the middle.
Next. Should Vlasic make the Hall of Fame? . Should Vlasic make the Hall of Fame? . dark
So, why Hertl? Boston don't exactly have a deep prospect pool at center, and the need for one will not go away soon. Getting a top six caliber center into the organization is going to be something Don Sweeney will need to find a way of doing because Charlie Coyle, Morgan Geekie, and Pavel Zacha just are not the answer for an organization that wants to reach the heights that the Bruins want to get to.
With the Bruins not having a first round pick until 2025 due to the Tyler Bertuzzi trade they made at last years trade deadline, it would likely need to be centered around a future 1st round pick, which would increase the ask on prospects. Someone like Matthew Poitras who has been a good player at the NHL level for the B's this season may be of interest, but at that point, the Bruins may feel it's too much to pay.
Carolina Hurricanes
It feels like a cheap answer, throwing the Canes onto every rumor list, but they are always sniffing around any player that might become available. With the Sharks having made deals with Don Waddell and the Hurricanes front office too, there's reasons to believe Tomas Hertl to Raleigh to reunite with former San Jose Shark Brent Burns may have some credit to it, and the team in teal could try to aid their former player in the pursuit of a Championship.
Going beyond the links between the two teams, the Carolina Hurricanes always need more help scoring. It tends to be the reason everything dries up for them, and Hertl can score like it's nobody's business. Adding a point-per-game center to a roster to compliment players like Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas, and Seth Jarvis seems somewhat unfair, given how deep that roster is.
Next. 3 Trade Destinations for Duclair. 3 Trade Destinations for Duclair. dark
In terms of cap space, Carolina projects to have almost $8 million available at the deadline, so they can actually take on Hertl's deal at the present moment. It may throw a spanner in the works for their offseason plans with so much projected turnover on one of the model organizations of the NHL at this moment, but it could be the last chance for the bulk of the pending free agents on this roster.
Carolina tends to be cutthroat in its pursuit of value. They have an internal value for players and will not go over it without certain exceptions. It may make negotiations with Carolina difficult, but Carolina has a first-round pick and two second-round picks in this upcoming draft, as well as a prospect pool full to the brim with talents that project to make the NHL. Getting a couple of kids to make the roster better is possible for the Sharks.
Colorado Avalanche
A mighty former Stanley Cup Champion has had an enormous hole on the second line open up since its championship season. Nazem Kadri filled that gap for the Colorado Avalanche once upon a time, but things have since changed in the Mile High city. They know that their window is wide open for their core, and they have to try and make the most of it before it slams shut, like we've seen with many teams in this league.
A second line center has to be the major recruitment point for the Avalanche. They tried to address it in the summer when they picked up Ryan Johansen, but he has not been the answer that Chris MacFarland and the Avs management core would have wanted. Hertl would have to walk into this team and show that he can be a different maker and allow centers other than Nathan MacKinnon to drive the offense, which he's more than capable of doing.
Where this gets more complicated is trying to make the money work. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog hasn't played a game since they won the Stanley Cup back in 2022, as he's been dealing with injury. He's still trying to work his way back, but the Avalanche have to have space available to activate the captain if he becomes available. It means money may have to go both ways in a deal like this.
Colorado have the assets to make a deal work here. With a first round pick this year, and players like Alex Beaucage, Jean-Luc Foudy, and Calum Ritchie, there could be prospects that interest the Sharks for Hertl. It would give the Czech forward a chance to go and chase the Stanley Cup Championship his resume is missing, and the Sharks would get more future assets to aid them in their rebuild.