On Friday, the San Jose Sharks selected Tomas Hertl as the No. 17 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. Hertl was picked on at least one mock draft to be the appropriate selection for the Sharks' placement in the draft and he stands to show good returns for San Jose.
The Neutral at Fear The Fin has this to say about the center, who currently skates in the Czech Extraliga:
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Hertl from a statistical perspective is that his points per game rate playing against men in the Czech Republic's best pro league last season translates (using Gabriel Desjardins' NHL equivalencies) to the highest points-per-game rate among 2012 first rounders outside of first overall pick Nail Yakupov. Knowing what we know about the Sharks organization, I wouldn't be surprised if they use a similar formula to evaluate prospects' offensive outputs.
Hertl is said to need work on his skating, but looks to be an excellent puck-handler.
For continued coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft, make sure to check out SB Nation's dedicated hockey hub. For more on the Sharks, head over to Fear the Fin.
