- Editor's note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California's Sharks coverage for the 2021-22 season. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
Tomas Hertl’s parents are asking. So’s his wife. He also sees the tweets from fans.
But the impending UFA doesn’t know if he’s staying with the San Jose Sharks yet.
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“We just want, for both sides, to be fair,” Hertl said.
Fair for Hertl would be being paid like one of the best centers in the NHL.
“I did a pretty good job the last couple of years proving I can be a top centerman in the league,” he noted.
There’s no doubt about that: Since 2018-19, just 13 centers around the league have recorded more goals than Hertl’s 92.
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RELATED: What could next contract look like for Sharks' Hertl?
Among Sharks forwards, only captain Logan Couture has played more minutes at even strength and on special teams.
Thirty-goal centers who are reliable at both ends of the ice don’t grow on trees.
The going market rate, as I explored yesterday, is the maximum eight-year contract, above $7 million dollars per season.