San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl appears to take a jab at Evander Kane
The San Jose Sharks have enjoyed a bit of a bounce back year after a very disappointing 2020-21 season and are now trending in the right direction. While the team is not currently in a playoff spot, long-time Shark Tomas Hertl says he is enjoying the atmosphere in the locker room this season.
Last season, it was reported on several occasions that team morale was not good in San Jose, due to friction between teammates. A quick read between the lines should provide some insight as to who the problem likely was.
"I've enjoyed every moment in the locker room this year...The locker room this season is better than before," Hertl said on Tuesday.
The only real major change between last season and this one in San Jose is the departure of Evander Kane, who had his contract terminated by the Sharks in January after reportedly traveling across the border while in COVID protocol. This comes after Kane acquired a fake vaccine card over the summer to get around having to receive the vaccine. Of course, Kane had several strikes against him before prior to breaking protocol on a number of occasions.
Hertl's newfound enjoyment for the environment in San Jose could be excellent news for the Sharks, as the Czech forward is a pending UFA and may elect to stay put knowing that the situation in the locker room is improving.
Hertl has experienced a pretty significant uptick in goal production this season and I don't believe it's a reach to suggest that the team morale this year has a lot to do with that. Hertl has tallied 16 and 19 goals in each of the last two seasons, respectively. He played just 48 games in 2019-20 and 50 games last season.
So far, through 45 games this season, Hertl has notched 22 goals and 38 points, which puts him on pace for 40 goals and 69 points, which would be his most productive year since 2018-19. Oddly enough, that was Hertl's first full season with Kane in San Jose. He regressed in each of the next two seasons before seeing a spike in production again this season.
Is this just all one big coincidence, or is Hertl returning to form due, at least in part, to the absence of the team's biggest distraction?
