Tomas Hertl is practicing with the Vegas Golden Knights and could make his debut as early as next week.
The 30-year-old forward participated in his first Golden Knights practice on Monday (April 1) — albeit in a red no-contact jersey.
Fans were just happy it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.
“I think it’s great for him to start interacting, see what it looks like, how we practice. … This is good for him, and obviously he’s getting closer,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said after Monday’s practice.
He upgraded to a regular, white, full-contact jersey during Tuesday’s morning skate, but he wasn’t in the lineup for the team’s 6-3 rout of the Vancouver Canucks.
TOMAS HERTL IS IN A WHITE JERSEY FOLKS!!!
???????????? pic.twitter.com/4wWSXk6OCj
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 2, 2024
But Cassidy wasn’t ready to rule him out for Friday.
“I’m not saying no (to Friday) because he’s full. If he’s not playing, I don’t know if he’ll travel or if they want him to go,” Cassidy said on Tuesday. “Again full contact. The next step is playing, so I’ve not ruled him out for Friday or putting him in, but he’s progressing.”
Unfortunately for Vegas, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
During Thursday’s presser, Cassidy confirmed Hertl won’t be in the lineup on Friday when Vegas travels to Arizona — but he wasn’t ready to rule him out for next week’s two-game road trip to Vancouver and Edmonton.
“Well, we’re coming back after Arizona,” he said. “He’s not going to play tomorrow, so he won’t travel — there’s no [real] reason. Sunday, when we practice, I’ll have a better idea how it’s shaping out for Vancouver and Edmonton.”
Tomas Hertl Suffered Knee Injury In January
Tomas Hertl injured his knee while still with the San Jose Sharks. He hasn’t played since Jan. 27, but had surgery to repair his knee on Feb. 12 and has been working his way back ever since.
Of course, then the March 8 trade deadline happened.
The Vegas Golden Knights (42-25-8, 92 points) acquired Hertl in a buzzer-beating, salary-cap-defying trade with the San Jose Sharks mere seconds before the trade deadline closed.
They knew they would have to be patient with him, but they won’t have to be patient much longer — and his addition is coming at the right time.
The Golden Knights went 2-8-1 between Feb. 12 and March 7. They were in jeopardy of losing a spot in the playoffs, but they are 9-2-1 in their 11 games since and have a real shot at the No. 2 seed in the Pacific Division.
With seven games left, Vegas can use a jolt of energy to catapult them into the playoffs — and Hertl is expected to provide that jolt of energy.
We’re talking about a player who has 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 48 games this season — and he’s capable of much more than that.
???? Head Coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed Tomas Hertl will not make his Golden Knights debut in Arizona tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/bPnDsYpmyb
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 4, 2024
Hertl won’t be in the lineup Friday, but his next opportunity at playing is Monday (April 8) when the Golden Knights play the division-leading Canucks.
They also play in Edmonton on Wednesday (April 8) before returning home for a four-game season finale in Vegas.
Don’t worry, hockey fans — the playoffs are almost here.
Vegas Golden Knights Become Fastest NHL Franchise to 300 Wins
Bruce Cassidy Confirms the Vegas Golden Knights Broke the Stanley Cup
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
