hohosaregood
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Tomas Hertl
- Thread starter rkwittem
- Start date
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Idk. Vanek's had some moments when he was the best player in the league for weeks at a time. My comp is mostly stylisticly - big guy with great hands who's not afraid to use them to make plays around the net and get into those dirty areas to score goals. Both are fantastic at deflections as well
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Hopefully he will be a more defensively responsible Vanek-style player. That being said I just don't think his skating is good enough to become a super star.
Qubax
Registered User
dwood16
Registered User
I was at the last game at the Staple center and Hertl looked absolutely quick. Especially his first 2 strides. At one point he took the puck from the offensive far corner boards and just skated it right to the front of the net ..blowing by the d-man who had good position. That was a play that not many players EVER make. I think his quickness might actually be better than his top speed. It's certainly above average for his size/strength.
Hopefully you are right. I can't believe some people want to fire DW. He's made a Stanley Cup caliber team yet we still have such a bright future with Couture, Hertl, Nieto, Vlasic, Braun, Demers, Stalock, etc. I expect this team to at least be competitive for the next 5 years probably more.
I agree about his quickness. Neat spin move when he waits for a stretch. It is good enough to give him about one half stride on any defender. I am just commenting on his straight ahead acceleration.
It is tempting to overlook raw speed when other characteristics are so good, but it is essential when talking about that cup winning package for a team. The presence of speed is noticeable in the top centers for winners (Datsyuk, Krejci, Staal, Crosby, Toews). Kopitar and Getzlaf are exceptions. I also am waiting to see how Colorado fares versus the cup in a year or two with Duchene and MacKinnon.
Juxtaposer
Outro: Divina Comedia
Baby Jagr. That is all. Is it bad that I want to keep him a winger just so he can keep being Baby Jagr?
dwood16
Registered User
Fair enough but he didn't look at all slow in person.
I agree with the idea that overall team speed is very, very, very important and teams with below average speed probably won't contend for the cup very often. However, I'm not so sure it needs to be top line centers though. It would be nice, but if the wingers are speedy I see no need. I think the faster a team is the less chances the opposition gets ...usually. Less skating room. less time. Less ability to wait/look for passes that usually get goals on rushes and whatnot.
If he comes even close to Jagr's career I would be ecstatic. Somehow I doubt hes gonna put up 150 in a season though
The Beaver
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Evincar
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I think thats a great comparison. Jagr was a perennial Art Ross guy. I dont see Hertl being that unfortunately.
Andrew Knoll
Registered User
The thing that has impressed me since his return is that his confidence with the puck is higher than ever. He also isn't afraid to stick his nose out there, which is remarkable coming off a long recovery. I think he could have that career that Ales Hemsky should have had.
zombie kopitar
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Yes agree, when I made the comparison to Kopitar it is more the potential I see if they tried to develop him at center, they are similar frame and both can be great board/crease players. Maybe his iq is not quite as high, he might not be a franchise selke center like Kopi, but Kopitar does not have the shiftiness nor the shot that Vanek/Hertl have. So somewhere in the middle would be ok with me
Yeh agree with this, he is not afraid to get physical, the injury has not intimidated him.But other players are not going after him like they did , and maybe that's a bit of respect in that they know he's not 100%. I think if he put on about 10 lbs of muscle this summer it would do him alot of good. He's already better then Hemsky ever was :p
I think Hemský's offensive skills are definitely better than some people nowadays like to claim and I doubt that Hertl will ever quite match them especially due to his somewhat weaker skating. That said, unlike Hemský Tomáš also has that physical aspect that makes him much more of an all-around player of the two and as such I'd definitely see him rather as a top-line center than a winger.
Evincar
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hohosaregood
Banned
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I think Hertl is a deceptively good skater. He's definitely quick and he can be fast but his mechanics are kind of weird so I think it negatively affects his acceleration. So if he can fix that, then there probably won't be anything stopping him.
Leidi J
Registered User
Juxtaposer
Outro: Divina Comedia
I'm talking purely stylistic.
Now you're just throwing out names of Czech guys.
Elias and Hemsky are both excellent skaters. Hertl is a good skater but not an agile skater. Jagr is the best stylistic comparison.
Will miss watching this guy over the summer. Can't wait for next season
He'll play for Czechs in WCH, so you still have chance to watch him...he may even play with Jagr
Hemsky001
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- May 17, 2012
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He'll play for Czechs in WCH, so you still have chance to watch him...he may even play with Jagr
matt trick
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- Jun 12, 2007
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Didn't see that after returning from the injury so I am glad to see him get on the board in that form. Earlier in the year, he scored several goals by splitting the D on well timed two-line passes.
Hertl is just such a complete player. Dangle, size, good timing, good passer, strong (though I'd like to see him use his body more- hopefully watching Jagr), good on the backcheck, good at sneaking behind defenders, good at tipping the puck.
I hope he continues to add more tools, and adds speed incrementally. A quarter step every year would make him a very fast 6'3 in a few years.
Swipes
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- Apr 13, 2010
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Hi guys,
I'm a bit of a lurker on the Shark's boards (I haven't posted on here yet), but I decided to break the trend and share a translation that I've done of a recent Czech interview with Tomas Hertl (one my favourite Czech players). That way, you can perhaps gain a little insight on how he feels his season is going so far and some of his other thoughts. The original article is here: http://hokej.idnes.cz/hokej-nhl-tom...nes-cz-fa3-/nhl.aspx?c=A150206_115902_nhl_cig
Apologies for any grammar and spelling mistakes Here it is (Q = question, H= Hertl):
Hertl in a Crisis: I was thinking whether I had what it took to play in the NHL
H: This year I’m very unlucky, I end up with a bruise/minor injury in almost every game.
Q: How do these little “pains†restrict you?
H: There’s been quite a bit of them. For example, this shot to the foot was quite unpleasant; the same applies to the hand. You feel the pain from the shot for the rest of the game and especially after it.
Q: This year, your season isn’t going according to plan, you even ended up on the “farm†team during the all-star break. Did this development take you by surprise?
H: I had no idea about it. Up to that point nothing had been mentioned to me. But looking back it doesn’t surprise me all that much. They wanted me to go and try it out even if it was just for a short period of time. They do this with all of their drafted players. For example, star defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic went there for one game after he’d been stably playing in the NHL for two years. This is how it works with the Sharks. They want everyone to experience it. It’s like graduating from a hockey-degree for them. I don’t think about it now, I’m back, and I must show that I belong here, and not in the AHL.
Q: You were playing in the AHL for the first time, was there a big difference between the AHL and the NHL?
H: It’s a completely different world. In the NHL you barely even touch your bag. Everything is arranged for you; you don’t have to worry about anything. When you arrive, you go straight to the hotel. In the AHL you arrive and have to unpack everything. There’s also a huge difference with regards to service and diet. In the NHL each player has access to millions of supplements with people around the team getting me anything I can think of (that I need). In the AHL you have to order a lot of this stuff yourself and pay for it. I can only speak for our “farmâ€, it’s possible that it works differently in other teams. Having said that, this is a notable difference between the AHL and NHL.
Q: The difference is also probably in terms of interest. In San Jose right now, cameramen and producers of the program “Road to the Stadium Series†are following you around and filming everything that is going on with the team, during practice and also in the locker-room.
H: Exactly. There’s a greater number of reporters when we arrive somewhere or when we’re playing at home. It’s an interesting experience when you realize that these clips could appear on TV. The cameras really are everywhere. It’s quite interesting, there are a lot of programs about NHL teams now and fans have much better access to things going on behind the scenes. This doesn’t exist on the “farmâ€.
Q: How did you find hockey in the AHL?
H: It was very different. Everyone wants to show themselves, it’s a lot about skating and one-on-one battles. The hockey IQ is logically not as high as with NHL players and that is reflected in the style of play. Players are quite over-motivated; no one reduces their effort even for a second, to the point where I had to be careful that I wouldn’t get injured. On the other hand I also tried to show how well I can play, and also try to play that much harder along the boards.
Q: Did you know a lot of the players on the farm-team or were the surroundings relatively unknown to you?
H: Fortunately almost everyone. Most of the guys there are predominantly those I had already met in pre-season and prospect camps. So it was great in the sense that I didn’t have to worry about getting to know the people.
Q: Because of the trip to the AHL you had to change your plans as you were counting on having some free time. Did you think it was a shame?
H: Of course, it wasn’t the best. We were planning to go and see southern california with my girlfriend. But that’s the life of a professional: you never know what might happen.
Q: Do you think this experience helped you, or did you need to have a break from hockey for a few days and get a chance to think about something else?
H: A rest would have been nice. On the other hand I’ve had a break the last couple of days. I played a different type of hockey and tried something new. This can never do any harm. Now I feel better, but I’m still missing that puck-luck. I’m struggling with my finishing. Last game I was already celebrating, but in the end they disallowed the goal. The beginning of the year was very bad from my perspective, now I feel better. For a coach the most important thing is points and I’m not producing them right now.
Q: According to experts there are two situations that may arise when a player is sent down to the AHL: either it motivates them to improve or their crisis deepens. Aren’t you afraid of the latter?
H: One can’t think about it like that. Naturally when one hears the news they’re not happy about it. That’s logical. I’d never played there before. One starts to think if one hasn’t lost one’s place in the team and whether one is still good enough to play in the NHL. Looking back I take it as a good experience. I saw the difference, tried it, and now I know that nothing I have is for certain and that I want to stay only in the NHL.
Q: Do the older players try to help/motivate you during hard times?
H: No-one really deals with that here. I don’t want to “drown†in it and I think everyone realised that. The AHL episode is behind me and now I’m just looking ahead. We’re fighting for a play-off spot, the western conference is very close. One day you beat the first-placed team and the next day you lose to the last-placed one. This is something we need to avoid, otherwise it’ll be very difficult to advance even with as experienced a team as we have.
Q: Your teammates don’t really discuss your situation with you but what about the coaching staff?
H: We’ve had a few meetings recently. They’re trying to help me. We watch a lot of videos and they suggest that I use my size a lot more and not be afraid to go to the net. I need some kind of deflection that won’t end up in my face, but rather, in the back of the net.
I'm a bit of a lurker on the Shark's boards (I haven't posted on here yet), but I decided to break the trend and share a translation that I've done of a recent Czech interview with Tomas Hertl (one my favourite Czech players). That way, you can perhaps gain a little insight on how he feels his season is going so far and some of his other thoughts. The original article is here: http://hokej.idnes.cz/hokej-nhl-tom...nes-cz-fa3-/nhl.aspx?c=A150206_115902_nhl_cig
Apologies for any grammar and spelling mistakes
Here it is (Q = question, H= Hertl):Hertl in a Crisis: I was thinking whether I had what it took to play in the NHL
H: This year I’m very unlucky, I end up with a bruise/minor injury in almost every game.
Q: How do these little “pains†restrict you?
H: There’s been quite a bit of them. For example, this shot to the foot was quite unpleasant; the same applies to the hand. You feel the pain from the shot for the rest of the game and especially after it.
Q: This year, your season isn’t going according to plan, you even ended up on the “farm†team during the all-star break. Did this development take you by surprise?
H: I had no idea about it. Up to that point nothing had been mentioned to me. But looking back it doesn’t surprise me all that much. They wanted me to go and try it out even if it was just for a short period of time. They do this with all of their drafted players. For example, star defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic went there for one game after he’d been stably playing in the NHL for two years. This is how it works with the Sharks. They want everyone to experience it. It’s like graduating from a hockey-degree for them. I don’t think about it now, I’m back, and I must show that I belong here, and not in the AHL.
Q: You were playing in the AHL for the first time, was there a big difference between the AHL and the NHL?
H: It’s a completely different world. In the NHL you barely even touch your bag. Everything is arranged for you; you don’t have to worry about anything. When you arrive, you go straight to the hotel. In the AHL you arrive and have to unpack everything. There’s also a huge difference with regards to service and diet. In the NHL each player has access to millions of supplements with people around the team getting me anything I can think of (that I need). In the AHL you have to order a lot of this stuff yourself and pay for it. I can only speak for our “farmâ€, it’s possible that it works differently in other teams. Having said that, this is a notable difference between the AHL and NHL.
Q: The difference is also probably in terms of interest. In San Jose right now, cameramen and producers of the program “Road to the Stadium Series†are following you around and filming everything that is going on with the team, during practice and also in the locker-room.
H: Exactly. There’s a greater number of reporters when we arrive somewhere or when we’re playing at home. It’s an interesting experience when you realize that these clips could appear on TV. The cameras really are everywhere. It’s quite interesting, there are a lot of programs about NHL teams now and fans have much better access to things going on behind the scenes. This doesn’t exist on the “farmâ€.
Q: How did you find hockey in the AHL?
H: It was very different. Everyone wants to show themselves, it’s a lot about skating and one-on-one battles. The hockey IQ is logically not as high as with NHL players and that is reflected in the style of play. Players are quite over-motivated; no one reduces their effort even for a second, to the point where I had to be careful that I wouldn’t get injured. On the other hand I also tried to show how well I can play, and also try to play that much harder along the boards.
Q: Did you know a lot of the players on the farm-team or were the surroundings relatively unknown to you?
H: Fortunately almost everyone. Most of the guys there are predominantly those I had already met in pre-season and prospect camps. So it was great in the sense that I didn’t have to worry about getting to know the people.
Q: Because of the trip to the AHL you had to change your plans as you were counting on having some free time. Did you think it was a shame?
H: Of course, it wasn’t the best. We were planning to go and see southern california with my girlfriend. But that’s the life of a professional: you never know what might happen.
Q: Do you think this experience helped you, or did you need to have a break from hockey for a few days and get a chance to think about something else?
H: A rest would have been nice. On the other hand I’ve had a break the last couple of days. I played a different type of hockey and tried something new. This can never do any harm. Now I feel better, but I’m still missing that puck-luck. I’m struggling with my finishing. Last game I was already celebrating, but in the end they disallowed the goal. The beginning of the year was very bad from my perspective, now I feel better. For a coach the most important thing is points and I’m not producing them right now.
Q: According to experts there are two situations that may arise when a player is sent down to the AHL: either it motivates them to improve or their crisis deepens. Aren’t you afraid of the latter?
H: One can’t think about it like that. Naturally when one hears the news they’re not happy about it. That’s logical. I’d never played there before. One starts to think if one hasn’t lost one’s place in the team and whether one is still good enough to play in the NHL. Looking back I take it as a good experience. I saw the difference, tried it, and now I know that nothing I have is for certain and that I want to stay only in the NHL.
Q: Do the older players try to help/motivate you during hard times?
H: No-one really deals with that here. I don’t want to “drown†in it and I think everyone realised that. The AHL episode is behind me and now I’m just looking ahead. We’re fighting for a play-off spot, the western conference is very close. One day you beat the first-placed team and the next day you lose to the last-placed one. This is something we need to avoid, otherwise it’ll be very difficult to advance even with as experienced a team as we have.
Q: Your teammates don’t really discuss your situation with you but what about the coaching staff?
H: We’ve had a few meetings recently. They’re trying to help me. We watch a lot of videos and they suggest that I use my size a lot more and not be afraid to go to the net. I need some kind of deflection that won’t end up in my face, but rather, in the back of the net.
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