Tomas Hertl had so much promise heading into the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Vegas Golden Knights were rolling into the playoffs, grabbing the division, 50 wins, and 110 points. On top of that, Hertl had the single-season power play goals franchise record with 14.
The expectation? Win the Stanley Cup.
However, that never came to fruition as their hated rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, defeated them in five games. Oh well, there's always next season, right?
Still, that goes back to a broader point: Tomas Hertl's absence during the postseason. He scored three goals and two assists in his first four playoff games. That included two power play assists, marking a vintage performance (cue Michael Cole!) from Hertl. Everything was all good... Until it wasn't.
After Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild, the Prague native didn't have a single point. That's right, neither a goal nor an assist was had during his playoff tenure. The result? Vegas went home early.
Now, fans are worried. The big acquisition from last year is suddenly disappearing during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Mind you, this was the same thing that happened last season. He scored a goal in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars and just dipped.
What can the Golden Knights do about Tomas Hertl?
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Hertl made it clear what his problems were. One thing that came up was confidence.
"Sometimes it's just being confident. With my game, it's always playing with confidence. Don't think about what happened a couple games ago. I just have to still be better. Don't think about it and just think about the next shift. When I play my best hockey, it's when I'm confident."Tomas Hertl to Danny Webster
Obviously, confidence is a major intangible for any hockey player. It determines whether you're on a cold streak or on fire like Michael Jordan. Some will point at the fateful game on March 23 against the Tampa Bay Lightning as an example.
Here, it was when Hertl suffered an upper-body injury from Emil Lilleberg. Since that hit? Four goals and four assists. Ouch.
Dominating the playoffs starts on the power play
Of course, what better play to be a playoff beast than on the power play? Throughout his Golden Knights career, Hertl only has a goal and two assists on the power play.
"But Jacob, you magnificent pontificator of Golden Knights opinions," I hear you say. "How can you possibly do that?"
Well, that starts with getting Hertl in his usual spot. That's right, I'm talking about being in front of the goaltender. It was one place that the Edmonton Oilers shut him out during the second round, leaving him without a single point.
Jumping in early and often will give him the space he needs to create havoc. After all, Hertl does have a distinct size advantage over a majority of NHL players (6'3", 220 pounds). Kelly McCrimmon acquired him for that reason, which unleashed the Golden Knights' power play to its best showing in franchise history.
It's easy to worry about what lies ahead for the Golden Knights and Hertl contract-wise. The center will be a free agent by 2030, where he'll probably be thinking about his friends at the local swimming pool. Add in a $6.75 million cap hit and things get dicier.
However, it doesn't have to be that way. He can start by being a factor on the power play during the playoffs. That will be a classic "Fun Must Be Always" moment for Golden Knights fans everywhere.