SAN JOSE — Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, who has been out for close to two months with a right knee sprain, was on the ice for Monday’s practice and felt optimistic afterward that he could play again by early next month.

Hertl, wearing a no-contact orange sweater, took part in some skating and shooting drills as the Sharks went through a roughly half-hour practice before they left for Edmonton on Monday afternoon.

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After plea from HDA and Evander Kane, NHL postpones Thursday and Friday games Hertl and David Schlemko, who has an upper body injury, stayed on the ice for another half an hour after the Sharks completed their practice.

Hertl, injured in a Nov. 17 game against the St. Louis Blues, had what the Sharks termed a minor procedure Nov. 22 to help brace the knee. Hertl said his knee is healed, but that now he needs to build up the muscles around it to stabilize and protect the area.

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“It feels pretty good. Already last week, I feel, if I turn, everything is fine,” Hertl said. “Speed is pretty good too. Sprints, I can do almost everything, but no contact. That’s why I need the muscle back because the muscle holds the knee.”

Hertl plans to continue skating this week while the Sharks are in Alberta for games against Edmonton on Tuesday and Calgary on Wednesday. The Sharks’ next scheduled practice is Friday morning. The Sharks are 15-6-2 without Hertl.

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said he didn’t have a specific timetable for when Hertl could return, but thought it would be reasonable to think Hertl could be back by early next month.

“I’m optimistic for early February,” DeBoer said. “End of February, in my mind, it would have to be a setback for it to be that long.”