When Kiefer Sherwood signed in Vancouver less than two years ago as an unrestricted free agent, the market and the hockey world at large didn't know too much about him.
At the time, Sherwood was 29 years old and had 24 NHL goals in his career. Ten of those goals came in 2023-24 over 68 games with Nashville, while another seven came the previous season in just 38 games. Six others came four years prior to that when Sherwood played 50 games as a rookie with the Anaheim Ducks in 2018-19.
His two-year contract ended up being a steal for a player who immediately had a breakout season and is taking another leap now. Sherwood broke the NHL record for hits in a single season last season while scoring a personal-best 19 goals. This season, he already has 17 more goals, well on his way to eclipsing 20 for the first time.
Had things gone to plan, Sherwood would have been a physical, secondary scoring force to support Vancouver's stars come playoff time. Of course, the front office's blueprint dissolved, and now that the Canucks are embracing a deeper rebuild than they initially preferred, Sherwood became a luxury it could no longer afford.
Sherwood arrived in Vancouver a gritty underdog. He leaves a fan favourite. The path he took to this point is a road less travelled.
"I hope that it opens up some pathways for other late bloomers one day, whether it's here or other places because there a lot of guys who are good players in the 'A' they just sometimes need some time to figure it out and get some opportunity," Sherwood said after Monday's trade. "That's what I was so grateful for coming here just the opportunity to blossom and be myself. I couldn't have asked for anything more from my experience in Vancouver. To have the fans be as appreciative as they are and chant my name is crazy."
Now 30, Sherwood is in the final season of that bargain of a contract and could become an unrestricted free agent in a thin market this summer. While the Canucks did at one point attempt to re-sign Sherwood, the team's mounting losses and a gap in negotiations made this conclusion an obvious one.
Vancouver did seek out a first-round pick for Sherwood, but ultimately settled on two second-rounders from San Jose and 25-year-old AHL defenceman Cole Clayton.
Sherwood's next destination is certainly an interesting one. San Jose has not reached the playoffs since 2019, but is now attempting to rise out of its own rebuild with an exciting young core. With a 24-20-3 record, San Jose currently holds the second wild-card spot in the West and sits tied with the Seattle Kraken for third in the Pacific in points and points percentage.
The Canucks, however, are still just getting started down their next path. With Sherwood gone, attention will turn towards other pending UFAs such as Evander Kane and Teddy Blueger. And the cuts may go deeper than that into tenured players including Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk and Thatcher Demko.
Next week, San Jose will travel to Vancouver and that could be a chance for Canucks faithful to give Sherwood a proper send-off. Currently injured, however, it's not clear if Sherwood will be ready to play in that game or not.
"I don't know," he said. "I need to make sure this is right. We'll see."
For more on Monday's trade, we turn to scout Jason Bukala.
Scout's Analysis
Back in 2024, when the Canucks signed Sherwood to a two-year contract ($1.5 million cap hit), they had come off a hard-fought playoff series against Sherwood’s previous team, the Predators, and felt he was exactly the kind of player they required. Vancouver was hoping he would add to the team and help keep it pointed on an upward trajectory.
Now that the reality of the Canucks' current scenario is setting in, as the team enters a full-on rebuild, they have shipped Sherwood to the upstart San Jose Sharks and made out very well in the process.
To San Jose: Kiefer Sherwood
I have a ton of respect for how hard Sherwood has worked to become a very valuable NHL player. He’s a highly motivated competitor who empties the tank every night. He led the NHL in hits last season with an astounding (and record-breaking) 462 and sits second this year with 210. His combination of power and speed has led to a significant uptick in his goal scoring. He had a career high 19 goals and 21 assists last season and he’s on pace to surpass 25 goals this year.
Sherwood earned every dollar of his contract in Vancouver and leaves the Canucks with gifts in the form of the two second-round picks they acquired from the Sharks for his services.
Sherwood is due a significant raise. The fact the Canucks end up with the extra draft capital is a stroke of luck for Vancouver.
To Vancouver: 2026 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick, Cole Clayton
Vancouver now holds two first- and two second-round picks in the upcoming draft and replaces a 2027 second-rounder it gave up from a previous trade with Chicago in June 2024.
If Vancouver is serious about rebuilding the organization, it will need to continue to acquire as much draft capital as possible and hope the majority of the players it selects with its extra picks turn into NHL players in the next three or four years.
Here’s a look at their draft grid after the trade with the Sharks:
Meantime, Clayton is a six-foot-two, 198-pound, right-shot defenceman who has spent his entire career at the AHL level. He’s 25 years old, was never drafted, and is essentially a finished product at this stage of his career.
Clayton is a capable skater on straight lines, but his upward style leads to some small-area contain issues below the hash marks and goal line in his zone. The bulk of his ice time comes at even strength and on the penalty kill. He’s very competitive and engaged physically. His long reach is an asset and he works to get in shooting lanes on the penalty kill to block shots.
Clayton's NHL projection is as a potential short-term recall, or someone who can provide organizational depth on the blue line.
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