One of the trade deadline’s most sought-after rentals is now off the board. The Vancouver Canucks announced that they’ve traded winger Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Cole Clayton, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
The Sharks’ interest in Sherwood has been known for some time. In late December, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that San Jose was one of the teams involved in Sherwood’s market.
Given the capital needed to acquire Sherwood, it would make sense for the Sharks to begin extension negotiations immediately. The Canucks were known to have been seeking a first-round pick for Sherwood’s services, though acquiring two second-round picks is hardly settling. Still, even if he is only a rental, Sherwood’s particular brand of hockey should help the Sharks considerably as they look to return to the postseason for the first time in seven years.
Vancouver originally signed Sherwood ahead of the 2024-25 season to a two-year, $3MM agreement. Their inspiration for signing him came a year earlier, when Sherwood, then playing for the Nashville Predators, totalled 33 hits against the Canucks in the opening round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. He finished the campaign with 10 goals and 27 points in 68 games.
His offense continued to develop in British Columbia. Throughout the past year-and-a-half with the Canucks, Sherwood has been a reliable scorer, registering 36 goals and 63 points in 122 games. Additionally, his physicality has truly been off the charts, averaging 5.5 hits per game — 672 in total.
That makes his fit with the Sharks remarkably clear. Outside of Ryan Reaves, who has been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions, and Ty Dellandrea, who is currently on the team’s injured reserve, San Jose doesn’t have too many physical forwards in their lineup. Additionally, the team desperately needed to add secondary scoring behind phenom Macklin Celebrini.
Given their value to the team, Sherwood would be a perfect option to play on the top line next to Celebrini and Will Smith, allowing the Sharks to shelter some of their younger wingers on the bottom two lines. If opposing teams aim to counter Celebrini and Smith physically, San Jose can now respond similarly.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the transaction, the Canucks continue to grow their stockpile of draft picks. Entering the season with five picks in the upcoming draft, Vancouver now has seven this year, and eight next.
Clayton, 25, is a big-bodied right-handed shot defenseman. A product of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers program, Clayton had spent the last four years with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters before signing with the Sharks last summer. Throughout his five-year professional career, the Alberta native has scored 14 goals and 66 points in 257 games with a -13 rating.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Why? Grier taking his recent good value trades and throwing them on the fire picking up a player we dont need.
You make good value trades in order to be in a good position to go for it when you’re ready. My guess is Celebrini emerging as a genuine Hart candidate has led the Sharks to believe that they’re ready to make a push now, and not later.
They aren’t ready. The defense is abysmal.
They’re in a playoff spot at the moment. I agree the defense isn’t awesome, but what are we even doing here if teams that are in playoff spots don’t try to make the playoffs?
Trading for defensemen? I didn’t day he shouldnt trade, I said he got a player we dont need.
There was reporting out of Vancouver that Sherwood’s agent got involved in trade negotiations recently. So, presumably there’s a handshake agreement for him to stay in San Jose for years to come. Just looking at San Jose’s depth chart, he is an upgrade over Gaudette and Goodrow as “veteran grit”
I think looking at your forward lines, there’s plenty of need for Sherwood (who’s awesome). And I think you’ll be plenty happy to watch and root for him, whether or not a defenseman was a bigger need (and there’s still plenty of time to get something done there).
Yes beasties, if they extend him he’ll only be 31 when his current contract expires at the end of this season. Years to come.
Lots of GM’s not happy about this. Good work by GM Grier.
Sherwood for two 2nds plus. What has this world come to…
He hits and scores. The hockey world has come to… playing hockey.
I love this for SJ. I have no idea why a whole mess of contenders with needs wouldn’t have matched/topped this
Haven’t seen who’s 2nd rd picks these are, but I’d agree someone could have matched that & added a better prospect…
Both 2nds are the Sharks’ own. Their pick this year would be 49th if the season ended today. Sharks still have the Avs’ 2nd this year.
Canucks fans – does Sherwood screen the net and get in the goalie’s face?
I’ve been impressed with how well Gaudette does this relative to his other skills.
Good pickup by the Sharks. They instantly become harder to play against, which are the kind of trades I like to see. Having said that, were other teams unable to match that offer? Seems Vancouver’s return is light, even for a rental.
They were initially asking for a 1st and couldn’t get it even if they added a mid rounder. They were also targeting prospects on the caliber of Filip Bystedt, a potential middle 6 center drafted late in the first round.
The return seems light for a unique and well hyped player.
With so few teams selling, they must have received a lot of attention, and it sounds like they asked every team for a 1st. If no one gave it to them, hard to say he’s worth more than what the Sharks paid. With so few players available this was about as pure an auction as you’ll see.
trade any player over 27 blow it up
Remember how much Mike Grier hate there hate there was on this site as recently as a year ago? Man, times have changed.