Confirmed with Link: Tomas Hertl 17% retained, 2025 3rd, 2027 3rd to Vegas for C David Edstrom, 2025 1st

[Jargon]

Our prospect pool is pretty bananas right now -- especially if we get Celebrini (but even Levshunov/whoever in the top 3) and Pittsburgh finishes 11-15th.

Next year, I imagine Bystedt and Havelid are coming over to start in the AHL. Musty might be competing for a spot, so might Smith. Edstrom too, maybe? I'm not sure where he is with his development.

But it means by next trade deadline, we may have a team that looks something like:

Eklund - Celebrini - Musty
Couture - Smith - Zetterlund
Bystedt - Edstrom - Granlund
Kostin - Sturm - Bailey

I mean... that's... really fun. I'm sure it won't be quite like that, we still have to win Celebrini and I know half these guys may not even be ready yet, but the future is closer than we think and it's a fun, skilled team that they're slowly putting together. The future is bright but we have to suffer a little to get there.

 

[Munnyro]

This is such a dick punch, even if the Hertl extension shouldn't have happened. Y'all not being emotionally invested in sports is odd to me.

The returns sucks but it is what it is. I said it in another post but I do not understand why he bleeds random picks in almost every deal.

What does GMMG do with all this cap space? A bad contract and maybe a FA rental.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

It’s like a 5% difference in lottery odds. Nothing about this trade secures anything. The team was bad enough with Hertl. I think people wanted a better return which is fair.

It's more than that but you're right it doesn't secure anything since Hertl was out and probably going to be shut down for the season rather than return like he could have and probably will now that he can compete. It's a 12% bump going from 2nd to last to last. It's not insignificant and in this draft, with the significant drop from Celebrini to everyone else, that's their best shot at an elite talent. Everyone else has a lot more maybes and ifs attached to them. The Sharks need elite potential not just good or great potential. That's the only way to come out of a rebuild.

 

[fasterthanlight]

Wow. I mean, this is joe will/DW's fault for the contract and not trading hertl for better before signing that nightmare contract, but it's quite sad

 

[Lebanezer]

You can't prove any trade will have any given outcome but teams still keep making them.

And again unless you want to argue Hertl actually has a negative impact on the ice, subtracting him from the roster objectively makes the Sharks worse which objectively makes them more likely to finish last which objectively increases their odds of drafting a franchise player. So that part is provable.

That's correct, every trade is a gamble because of the countless variables. You're acting as if this situation and outcome are black and white when it simply is not. We're not dealing in averages here, we're only dealing in specific cases.

 

[Powinkle]

I am trying not to get wrapped up on ideal returns because I am a little out-of-touch with values now-adays. But it makes me sick to my stomach he went to Vegas.

 

[Pete Taylor]

How do you not understand that keeping Hertl hurts the team's future by making it harder to finish last?

Imagine where we would be in the standings right now if we didn't have Hertl or Couture for the entire season? At least 5 points clear of Chicago, I'd guess.

Everyone wants the top prospects but can't accept what it takes to secure them.

The commonality during this time is like hanging out with other addicts in a crack house. Sure we have something in common, but perhaps it's best to just sever ties.

There is a clear difference, as people who are in a crack house aren;t looking to get better. We as sharks fan, want our team to get better.

 

[Hodge]

That's correct, every trade is a gamble because of the countless variables. You're acting as if this situation and outcome are black and white when it simply is not. We're not dealing in averages here, we're only dealing in specific cases.

It's not a gamble because there was no upside to keeping Hertl. He was making our team better than they could be without him, that's just a fact, which undermines our short term goal. Longer term it's extremely likely, although obviously not 100% guaranteed, that he would have declined further to the point of becoming untradeable.

 

[sharski]

Wow. I mean, this is joe will/DW's fault for the contract and not trading hertl for better before signing that nightmare contract, but it's quite sad

Speaking of rebuilding, unless he's some sort of low-key genius, from what can tellI JW has definitely hurt the rebuild more than help it

Why has he not been moved along with all the players that had to go for the rebuild

 

[fasterthanlight]

Speaking of rebuilding, unless he's some sort of low-key genius, from what can tellI JW has definitely hurt the rebuild more than help it

Why has he not been moved along with all the players that had to go for the rebuild

I do think joe will sucks, but I don't know much about him other than his painful interviews he gives.

 

[TheBeard]

There is a clear difference, as people who are in a crack house aren;t looking to get better. We as sharks fan, want our team to get better.

If I can be personal, as a recovering addict that's not true. Most addicts do want to get better but it's not that easy. It's easier to fall into the pit of artificial gratification through destruction, much the way we all come to the game day threads and laugh at how bad we are and cheer every time we lose in some spectacular fashion. It's easy to embrace the easy way to find solace than truly accept the misery of our circumstances.

 

[Hodge]

I do think joe will sucks, but I don't know much about him other than his painful interviews he gives.

Well we can certainly call his Middleton trade an unmitigated disaster given what Kahkonen just returned.

 

[Sharkz4Fun]

This is such a dick punch, even if the Hertl extension shouldn't have happened. Y'all not being emotionally invested in sports is odd to me.

The returns sucks but it is what it is. I said it in another post but I do not understand why he bleeds random picks in almost every deal.

What does GMMG do with all this cap space? A bad contract and maybe a FA rental.

I think Hasso's gonna take a step back from spending so much because he's probably losing a significant amount of revenue everywhere else. I think this trade is the start of them going the Anaheim route then eventually the out-of-town route. I think they'll do a veteran F/D with term like Killorn/Gudas this offseason to hit the floor and call it a day.

 

[fasterthanlight]

It's not a gamble because there was no upside to keeping Hertl. He was making our team better than they could be without him, that's just a fact, which undermines our short term goal. Longer term it's extremely likely, although obviously not 100% guaranteed, that he would have declined further to the point of becoming untradeable.

This is sad, but totally true. He also probably asked out, and MG seems happy to accommodate that sort of thing for folks. It just feels like we could have gotten a Meier-like return if not for DW+JW's bad asset management

 

[Pete Taylor]

If I can be personal, as a recovering addict that's not true. Most addicts do want to get better but it's not that easy. It's easier to fall into the pit of artificial gratification through destruction, much the way we all come to the game day threads and laugh at how bad we are and cheer every time we lose in some spectacular fashion. It's easy to embrace the easy way to find solace than truly accept the misery of our circumstances.

Hey shoutsout man, getting sober was the best thing, and the most difficult thing I have ever done, glad to see that you have done the same as well. It really all does start with wanting to get better as you said. You have to accept the fact that you are not in a place that you want to be, and make the best decisions you can, with a goal in mind (in both cases, getting better).

The real addict move for the state of our team would be to not accept the fact that we suck, and bandaid fixing the issues, instead of actually solving them. Hard decisions have to be made in both cases.

 

[Hodge]

This is sad, but totally true. He also probably asked out, and MG seems happy to accommodate that sort of thing for folks. It just feels like we could have gotten a Meier-like return if not for DW+JW's bad asset management

Yeah, if we had traded Hertl at the 2022 deadline like any sane franchise would have, probably looking at a similar return to 1st+Edstrom without needing to attach 3rds or retain $1.4M/yr for 6 years.

That said I honestly think two 3rds and the retention is a pretty small price to pay to get out of that mistake.

 

[Lebanezer]

It's not a gamble because there was no upside to keeping Hertl. He was making our team better than they could be without him, that's just a fact, which undermines our short term goal. Longer term it's extremely likely, although obviously not 100% guaranteed, that he would have declined further to the point of becoming untradeable.

This is simply not correct.

 

[Jargon]

I just want to point out that when they announced that Hertl was getting surgery AND that he'd DEFINITELY be back before the end of the season, it felt really suspicious to me. To me, it seemed like someone who was getting ready for the playoffs.

Grier just said in his media availability that this has been in the works for a little while. I think after the All-Star break, Hertl asked to be traded and Grier started making calls. Hertl decided it would be best to get everything fixed in case the trade happened. I don't think this was a last minute call -- I think Grier probably did his due diligence and this was the best that was available, so he pulled the trigger -- both for the future of the team and for Tomas.

 

[fasterthanlight]

I just want to point out that when they announced that Hertl was getting surgery AND that he'd DEFINITELY be back before the end of the season, it felt really suspicious to me. To me, it seemed like someone who was getting ready for the playoffs.

Grier just said in his media availability that this has been in the works for a little while. I think after the All-Star break, Hertl asked to be traded and Grier started making calls. Hertl decided it would be best to get everything fixed in case the trade happened. I don't think this was a last minute call -- I think Grier probably did his due diligence and this was the best that was available, so he pulled the trigger -- both for the future of the team and for Tomas.

oh my god did we help vegas circumvent the cap to win back-to-back cups LOL

 

[Hodge]

This is simply not correct.

Yes it is. There's no upside in keeping a player who A) doesn't want to be there B) helps you win games in seasons where your main goal is to win as few games as possible.

 

[TheBeard]

The real addict move for the state of our team would be to not accept the fact that we suck, and bandaid fixing the issues, instead of actually solving them. Hard decisions have to be made in both cases.

While true, it's also important to find good support and, at least for me, reminders of how good things can be on the other side. That's what Hertl was for me. This trade was akin to introducing my best friend to my dealer.

Also, kudos to your recovery. It wasn't easy but now i look back and laugh about it.

 

[Lebanezer]

Yes it is. There's no upside in keeping a player who A) doesn't want to be there B) helps you win games in seasons where your main goal is to win as few games as possible.

There’s more to it than that, regardless of how much you want to reduce it.

 

[Jargon]

oh my god did we help vegas circumvent the cap to win back-to-back cups LOL

I mean, maybe! Grier also just said what I said: Hertl asked for a trade earlier this year. So, yeah, I mean, you do what you can for a player like Tomas and frankly, his contract makes him hard to trade.

I f***ing hate Vegas, but they already won the Cup, so who cares. If this was the best deal available, I'm glad Grier took it. I hope that karma bites Vegas on the ass next year and they have a complete meltdown and we get a Top 10 pick. I doubt it, but I can hope.

 

[Mrs Ski]

This feels like a punch to the gut. The most popular player traded to the most hated team. He was the reason I hung on as a fan.



Soul crushing.

 

[TheBeard]

There’s more to it than that, regardless of how much you want to reduce it.

There's definitely more to it, but admittedly, if Thomas asked for a trade then it is what it is.