- 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.
“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.
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.