Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said new center Tomas Hertl is skating on his own, a sign that he is inching closer to returning from his February knee surgery.

The Knights acquired Hertl, along with two third-round picks, from the rival San Jose Sharks before the NHL’s trade deadline for a 2025 first-round pick and prospect David Edstrom.

Hertl said March 11 it would be around two weeks before he began skating. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said the plan is for Hertl, 30, to play in the regular season.

“It’ll be good to have him in the lineup when he’s healthy,” Cassidy said. “For him, he’s going to have to adjust to how we play more than anything.”

Hertl was drafted 17th overall in 2012 and is a two-time 30-goal scorer. He had 15 goals and 34 points in 48 games before being injured and was one of the few threats on a Sharks team that has been near the bottom of the league standings the past five seasons.

Hertl’s best season came in 2019 when he set career highs with 35 goals and 74 points.

Hertl signed an eight-year, $65.1 million contract with the Sharks in March 2022.

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