Tomas Hertl seemed like the perfect trade target for the Bruins. He could have been their No. 2 center upgrade in the present and potentially help solidify the position in the years to come if they signed him to an extension. He's a talented offensive player and very good defensively as well. He and fellow Czech David Pastrnak could have hit it off as linemates.
So much for all that. The Bruins won't be getting Hertl, and neither will anyone else. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the 28-year-old Hertl has agreed to an eight-year extension to stay with the San Jose Sharks. The contract has an average annual value around $8 million.
Hertl has been one of the biggest names in trade rumors for months, but over the last couple weeks there had been reports that the Sharks were putting all of their effort into extending Hertl and actually weren't even listening to trade offers yet. It was believed that if they weren't able to get a new contract done by the middle of this week, they would then pivot to trading him ahead of Monday's deadline.
Hertl coming off the board further thins out what was already shaping up to be a pretty shallow market for first- and second-line centers. Recent reports have indicated that the surging Canucks prefer to hang onto J.T. Miller, another name that has been thrown around in rumors for months. Miller has another year left on his contract, so Vancouver could always re-evaluate in the summer.
Claude Giroux remains the top rental option, with the career Flyer expected to be moved before Monday's deadline as he chases his first Stanley Cup. With other centers dropping out, the price for Giroux could be pushed even higher.
None of that is good news if the Bruins were prioritizing second-line center, but it's unclear if they were. They could instead target defensemen and wings (specifically right wings), where they could also use upgrades and where there would appear to be more options.
That would mean continuing to roll with Erik Haula as their No. 2 center between Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak. While Haula doesn't fit the profile of a true second-line center, he has fit in well with those two talented wings. With that trio on the ice, the Bruins have registered 54.7% of shot attempts, 55.5% of shots on goal, and have outscored opponents 14-11.
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