NHL 24 Trade Attempts: Tomas Hertl to Vegas

Leave it to Vegas to drop a bombshell of a trade in the dying minutes of the NHL Trade Deadline. The betting odds for San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl to be dealt would've been set at +1000. He was not on any programs' trade bait boards.

The Golden Knights management continues to treat the NHL like it's a video game. If they want a player, they'll go and do whatever it takes to acquire that player.

A funny part of Vegas' all-in approach is that they currently sit in the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference and have been playing some poor level of hockey as of late.

Make no mistake though, when everyone is back and healthy for Vegas, they are primed to go and repeat as Stanley Cup Champions after the acquisitions they've made at this year's Trade Deadline.

San Jose is getting back an A-level prospect along with Vegas' 2025 first-rounder. David Edstrom went from a mid-round prospect at the start of his draft year to getting selected as the last pick of the first round by Vegas in 2023.

Edstrom brings a complete game down the middle of the ice, smooth skating, and plus-level hands for a forward of his size. He's excellent at making passes underneath sticks and executing plays in tight spaces.

Edstrom's hockey IQ is very high and it allows him to play on and off the puck with intelligent decision-making. His ceiling is a second-line center and a forward who can chip in on both the powerplay and penalty kill.

Overall, this is an excellent trade for Vegas' "win-now mode", and they will most likely put Hertl on LTIR for the tail years of his big contract. From a Sharks' perspective, this trade doesn't make sense. This isn't a hefty return for a first-line center and a difference-maker in the playoffs.

Was San Jose even shopping their star player? Or did Vegas call them up with this proposal at the last second, and Sharks' GM Mike Grier just said, "I have to take this offer"? 

Check out The Hockey News Gaming Site for all NHL 24 Trade Attempt videos.