The hits keep on coming for the San Jose Sharks. The team's disastrous 2019-2020 campaign got worse on Thursday when it was announced that star forward Tomas Hertl would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL and MCL.
Hertl suffered the knee injury during the first period of Wednesday's Sharks-Canucks game when Vancouver defenseman Chris Tanev fell and slid into Hertl's leg against the boards. The Sharks forward was able to leave the ice under his own power and attempted to stay in the game, but eventually left the game to be evaluated by the team's medical staff.
Tomas Hertl will NOT return tonight.#SJSharks
— Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) January 30, 2020
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Losing the 26-year-old Hertl is a huge blow for San Jose, as he's been the team's most productive piece up front through 52 games, leading all Sharks forwards with 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists). The Sharks are already without their captain and another integral forward in Logan Couture, who suffered a fractured ankle earlier this month.
It's also concerning considering this is the second major knee injury that Hertl has undergone in his relatively young NHL career. He underwent a procedure to surgically repair damaged ligaments in his right knee as a rookie in 2013-14. This latest incident appeared to involve his left knee.
After reaching the Western Conference Final last season, San Jose came into this season with expectations of once again being a contender in the West. However, things haven't gone to plan and their 22-26-4 record (48 points) has them sitting third-last in the conference. The team fired head coach Peter DeBoer in December.
