Tomas Hertl, Sharks Agree To 8-Year Contract Extension with Reported $8M AAV

Tomas Hertl has been with the San Jose Sharks his entire NHL career, and the team will keep him around for the foreseeable future.

San Jose announced it agreed to an eight-year contract extension with the veteran center, which will keep him on the team through 2029-30 season.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported the contract is worth approximately $64 million total and $8 million annually. Hertl has been in the league since the 2013-14 campaign and has been a constant presence on the offensive attack for San Jose.

This is quite notable ahead of Monday's trade deadline considering Hertl was previously scheduled for free agency after the season.

That made the 28-year-old an obvious trade candidate, especially since the Sharks don't appear to be on their way to the playoffs at 26-25-8. They are eight points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western Conference wild-card spot and are also still behind the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks.

Alas, San Jose chose to keep him in the fold with an eye on next season and beyond.

The 2020 All-Star has 48 points on 25 goals and 23 assists in 59 games this season. It is already the second-highest point total of his career and trails only his head-turning showing in 2018-19 with 74 points on 35 goals and 39 assists.

While this is Hertl's ninth season in the league, his age and performance indicates he is in the middle of his prime.

San Jose could have landed some assets to help it rebuild toward the future, but the center is familiar with the organization and still playing at a high level. 

He is someone who could help it return to the postseason again in 2022-23 as it looks to reestablish itself as a contender in the Western Conference after what is shaping up to be a third straight season without making the playoffs.