Report: Tomas Hertl out until mid-February

Friend of the Blog Kevin Kurz is reporting that San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl will be out for at least another month with a knee injury. The last update we heard was that Hertl would be out until at least the All-Star break which is in a few weeks. It sounds like that has been pushed back further still.

San Jose has survived without Hertl, one of the most important players on the Sharks’ roster, but the sooner they get him back in the lineup the better. Still, the most important thing is protecting the young center’s health and getting him to 100 percent before the playoffs.

Hertl was seen skating in recent weeks in sweatpants but hasn’t fully taken on hockey activities to the best of my knowledge. This isn’t a death blow to the Sharks by any means and it could provide an opportunity to a player like Danny O’Regan who is tearing it up with the Barracuda.

At the very least, it should give someone like Tommy Wingels another chance to take a roster spot. Wingels will play tonight while Mikkel Boedker is a healthy scratch. This may be Wingels’ last chance to get into the lineup on a regular basis with Nieto gone and Hertl’s return approaching ever quickly.