Minnesota Wild: Could The Wild Really Acquire Tomas Hertl?

The pursuit for a number one center continues for the Minnesota Wild. More than likely, the Wild have at this point, backed out of the running for Sabres franchise center Jack Eichel due to the cost and most recently, another center, now Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak was rumors to be a target of the Wild’s up until being traded to Montreal.

With Eichel and Dvorak off the board, it seems gears have shifted amongst fans who have now said that a potential new center target for the Minnesota Wild could be current San Jose Sharks center and alternate captain, Tomas Hertl.

Making a case for the Wild to acquire Hertl –

To make a long story short, the Wild have always lacked a number one center and Victor Rask just isn’t cutting it. Tomas Hertl would immediately become the Wild’s new number one center with still a lot of upside left. Hertl, who is 27 is coming off a season where he came one goal shy of scoring 20, potting 19 goals in 50 games, Hertl has the upside production wise that any team would want for a number one center. The best season of his career came during the 2018-2019 season when Hertl would light the lamp 35 times and having 74 points in 77 games.

Another big statistic for Hertl is he is a veteran of 503 NHL games and that shouldn’t be overlooked as he would bring a ton of experience to a Wild roster that is continuing to get younger.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 12: Tomas Hertl #48 of the San Jose Sharks smiles after he scored a goal against the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center on November 12, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Making a case for the Wild to pass on Hertl –

Obviously, acquiring Hertl would be huge for the Wild, but on the flip side, there is a few reasons the Wild should pass on him. First of all, Hertl is entering final year of his contract with San Jose and he will command a substantial penny, one that the Wild may not be able to afford due to having several contracts on the team they are already paying and still have to sign Kirill Kaprizov to an extension.

Another reason the Wild should pass is the cost, much like the Sabres asking price for Jack Eichel, the Wild would probably rather not trade assets that the Sharks may ask for such as Matt Boldy or Marat Khusnutdinov and draft picks package for Hertl.

One last reason that can be thought of for passing on Hertl is it could be a sign of Bill Guerin and the Minnesota Wild being patient with the back stock of centermen they have in the cupboards. The Wild drafted Marco Rossi 9th overall in 2020 and this season he will be looking to make an impact on the Wild, where ever that may be. Marat Khusnutdinov could also be one of those candidates as he is looking really good at the start of the KHL season with SKA St, Petersburg.

Final Thoughts

We know the Minnesota Wild need a number one center and weather or not Tomas Hertl is the right answer isn’t know to this degree yet. The Wild have options and will have to weigh those options heavily and quickly as the roster continues to unfold.

*Stats used were found at NHL.com

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