The 2023-24 season hasn't been very kind to the San Jose Sharks, but that hasn't stopped star center Tomas Hertl from remaining productive throughout it all. However, he's been hit with a pretty significant roadblock in the form of a knee injury he has been dealing with over the past few weeks.

Hertl has been the Sharks top producer on the year, racking up 15 goals and 19 assists through 48 games, but he missed San Jose's final two games before the All-Star break due to his bothersome injury. While he played on Team McDavid at the All-Star festivities, it was clear he wasn't 100 percent healthy, and he will now be undergoing surgery on his knee, which will force him to miss several weeks of action.

This is a big blow for the Sharks, as Tomas Hertl is leading his team in goals, and is second in assists behind only Mikael Granlund, who is also currently injured too. For a San Jose team that has struggled to do pretty much everything this season, going weeks without Hertl on the ice is going to make what has already been a tough season for them even more difficult.

Given the fact that the Sharks currently have the second-fewest points in the league, it's not a stretch to say that Hertl may not return this season. If he's ahead in his rehab and wants to play, he could return, but with 31 games left on the season, San Jose is clearly only playing for draft positioning right now. If they remain one of the worst teams in the league during Hertl's absence, which they likely will, fans may have to wait until next season to see Hertl take the ice for the Sharks.