Golden Knights’ Tomas Hertl returns following eight-game injury absence

Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl will make his return to the lineup Thursday versus the Pacific Division rival Seattle Kraken after missing the past eight games due to a shoulder injury.

Sidelined since late March, the 31-year-old Czech-born forward has made 70 appearances with the Golden Knights this season in which he has notched 31 goals and 28 assists to sit third in team scoring with 59 points.

“[We missed him] on the powerplay for sure. He’s been a big part of that,” Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters prior to puck drop Thursday. “The other guys have done a good job, but we have missed his interior presence there. Offensively, even five-on-five, I thought he was doing a really good job [with Pavel Dorofeyev]. They really had chemistry [and Brandon Saad]. That line can hopefully recapture where they were, and I thought they were playing very well defensively.”

Skating in his first full season with the Golden Knights, Hertl was acquired from the San Jose Sharks ahead of the 2024 trade deadline in a deal that saw Vegas part with center David Edstrom plus a first-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft.

A veteran of 788 career contests through 12 seasons with the Sharks and Golden Knights, Hertl has totaled 251 goals and 296 assists for 547 points. Hertl has also added 25 goals and 18 assists for 43 points through 69 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last spring, Hertl had a lone point through the Golden Knights’ seven-game first-round exit to the Dallas Stars.

For the Golden Knights, on the season the club sits 47-22-9 and top spot in the Pacific Division with 103 points. Earlier this month, the Golden Knights clinched their spot in the upcoming postseason, marking the seventh time in the franchise’s eight-year history in which it will compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.