Similar to Joe Thornton, Hertl’s game has never been reliant on speed. He is big, shifty, and he protects the puck well. Not sure I agree with that take.
I like Hertl as a player. But here is no world where he's in any way comparable to Thornton, who at his peak was one of the top 5 players in hockey. Hertl's best year (74 points) was a bad year for Thornton in his prime.
Thornton was pretty much point per game through 2015-16 (82 point year), when he was 36. He declined after that. And in his prime, he was consistently over PPG.
Or stated differently, all players decline, but Thornton started his decline from such a high point, he remained useful (and earned his contract) far longer than Hertl will.
And Hertl's contract AAV and term are pretty brutal. Absent retention, I don't see any team wanting to take that on and send back assets.