Sharks deal Hertl to Vegas in stunning move

The San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights completed a stunning blockbuster deal Friday just minutes before the NHL trade deadline, with center Tomas Hertl and two third-round draft picks going to the defending Stanley Cup champions for a first-round draft pick and prospect David Edstrom.

The Sharks are receiving the Golden Knights' first-round draft pick in 2025, and Edstrom — Vegas' first-round selection last year. The third-round draft picks the Sharks are sending to the Golden Knights come in 2025 and 2027.

The Sharks are also retaining 17% of Hertl's contract, so his cap hit as a member of the Golden Knights is $6.75 million.

Hertl is in the second year of an eight-year, $65.1 million contract he signed with the Sharks in 2022. The deal carried an average annual value of $8.137 million and a full no-movement clause, which means Hertl had to approve the trade.

The Sharks and Golden Knights had been discussing a possible deal involving Hertl for some time, but questions persisted about whether the centerman would be available for the start of this year's playoffs in approximately seven weeks.

Earlier this week, though, Sharks coach David Quinn said that Hertl is “ahead of schedule” as he continues to recover from

surgery he had on Feb. 12 to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee, adding that it was possible the Czech-born forward would be able to return this season.

Prior to his surgery, Hertl had a team-leading 34 points in 48 games this season.

Selected by San Jose in the 2012 NHL Draft, Hertl, in 11 seasons for the Sharks, had 484 points (218 goals, 266 assists) in 712 games. He is one of seven Sharks skaters to appear in at least 700 games with the franchise, and one of six players to score at least 200 goals.

The deal means the Sharks do not have any more salary retention spots left until the summer of 2025, likely hampering efforts to trade either captain Logan Couture or defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the next calendar year if the Sharks want to continue the teardown.

The Sharks are already retaining salary in the trades that saw Brent Burns go to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022 and Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer. NHL teams are only allowed to keep salary on three players on their books.

With the Hertl and Karlsson deals, the Sharks will have two of their three retention spots tied up until the summer of 2027 when Karlsson's deal expires.

Couture, who turns 35 later this month, is under contract for three more seasons after this one at a cap hit of $8 million annually. Vlasic, who turns 37 this month, has his contract run out in 2026.

Earlier this week, Sharks coach David Quinn said that Hertl is “ahead of schedule” as he continues to recover from surgery he had on Feb. 12 to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee, adding that it was possible the Czech-born forward would be able to return before the Sharks' season ends on April 18.

Edstrom, 19, is listed at 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds and is presently playing for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League. SHARKS, DEVILS SWAP GOALIES >> The Sharks also traded Kaapo Kahkonen to the New Jersey Devils for Vitek Vanecek in a swap of goalies.

The Sharks are getting a 2025 seventh-round draft in the trade.

Also, the Sharks acquired goalie Devin Cooley from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2025 seventh-round pick.