Hertl was a great Shark. Literally from the moment he arrived here he’s been an instant fan favorite. He far exceeded his draft position, he oozes charm and charisma, and he’s battled back from some pretty devastating injuries. He signed long term, presumably a retirement contract, even as the team was trending down; on promise that the org would promptly get back to a competitive state.
It didn’t happen that way. He rode out a pitiful year, and was told we’ll be more competitive this year. Well, that clearly didn’t happen, and along the way it was made unmistakably clear this roster is in no way remotely close to competitive or likely to be so for a while. So he took Grier up on the offer to move to a more competitive situation. Quietly. Professionally. No tantrums, no sulking, no sniping via the media, no drama.
Tomas has been a class act his entire time in teal, showing nothing but respect for the fans and the organization. So even as he is now on a rival team, I can’t have anything but respect for Hertl. I hope he has a genuine chance at the Cup before he retires; though I also hope that next season he doesn’t. What I definitely don’t feel the need to do is take some ass hat pot shots at him on anonymous hockey forums.