SAN JOSE – Tomas Hertl has a lower-body injury and is questionable to play Tuesday when the San Jose Sharks host the Seattle Kraken in their next-to-last game before the NHL All-Star break.
Hertl sat out Monday’s practice and is considered day-to-day, Sharks coach David Quinn said. The Sharks also play Wednesday in Anaheim before they begin a break that doesn’t see them play another game until Feb. 14 in Winnipeg.
Hertl said he should be good to go for this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. The event begins with a player draft on Thursday, the skills competition on Friday — which Hertl is not competing in — and the four-team, 3-on-3 tournament on Saturday.
Hertl was named the Sharks’ representative for the event earlier this month.
“I’m pretty confident I’m going,” Hertl said. “For sure, it would be tough to miss it, because it’s something special, and I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully whatever is happening today, but I’m confident I will for sure come.”
Hertl wouldn’t say if he hurt midway through the second period of Saturday’s game at SAP Center against Buffalo. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound centerman came across the offensive blue line with the puck before he was hip-checked by Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju.
Hertl remained in the game momentarily, skating for two more shifts in the second period before he left the team’s bench, missing the final 8:57. Hertl returned for the third period, took a regular shift, and finished with 16:50 of ice time in what became a 5-2 loss to the Sabres.
Hertl leads the Sharks with 15 goals and 34 points in 48 games.
Hertl, earlier this month, was chosen as the Sharks’ representative for the NHL All-Star Game second time in his career, with the first coming in 2020 when the event was held in St. Louis. Hertl was a replacement for Logan Couture, who was chosen for the event before he suffered a broken left ankle just weeks before the festivities were held.
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