Tomas Hertl didn't have much time to get acclimated with the Vegas Golden Knights raising questions about where his best position is.
Tomas Hertl didn't have much time to get acclimated with the Vegas Golden Knights raising questions about where his best position is.
Hertl played just six regular season games and seven playoff games after the Golden Knights acquired him from the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline. During those 13 games, head coach Bruce Cassidy was doing everything in his power to find Hertl the right linemates and role but he was never able to find it.
During those 13 games, the 30-year-old found himself playing on Jack Eichel's wing, up the middle with Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson and also on the wing with Stephenson. He scored just one goal in the playoffs which came during Game 1 on the power play.
Undergoing knee surgery during the regular season played a major role in Hertl's inability to adapt to the Golden Knights lineup. Missing 28 games and playing in just six games before the playoffs is a good enough excuse for everyone to be patient with him.
Heading into the 2023-24 season, Cassidy must find the answer for where Hertl fits best and the first question he must answer is if he's better suited for the wing or as a centre.
In the faceoff dot, the Czech-born forward has been above 50% for nine consecutive seasons. Hertl is known more as a playmaker than a goal scorer and traditionally playmakers are better suited up the middle but in today's game it's not a factor.
If Hertl plays as a centre it will allow William Karlsson to stay as the third-line centre in his shutdown role and allow the Golden Knights to play two offensive lines. He could be on a line with Brendan Brisson and Stone and get the easier matchup while Eichel takes on the opponent's top line.
If the Golden Knights elect to use him on the wing, Hertl could form a formidable duo with Eichel on the top line. If Jonathan Marchessault walks in free agency, the Golden Knights will have to find a way to replace some of his goal-scoring production. One way they would have to do so is by finding more goals from players in their lineup, specifically from Eichel.
Eichel's goal-scoring abilities coupled with Hertl's playmaking ability could just that.
The 10-year veteran's versatility is a positive rather than a negative if he can find his form. His fluidity throughout the lineup could be a matchup nightmare for their opponents.
What the Golden Knights do in free agency will tell the fans where Hertl will likely line up.
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