The Sharks have acquired forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for their own 2026 and 2027 2nd round draft picks and defenseman Cole Clayton.
The Sharks and Sherwood have not reached an agreement on an extension at this point. The 30-year-old winger is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency after this season.
This is an interesting move for the Sharks, who find themselves in a new situation, sitting in a playoff spot just past the midway point of the season. Grier is rewarding the Sharks' strong play by adding Sherwood, who brings the needed grit and physicality to the top 9 while also having the ability to put the puck in the net. Sherwood has 17 goals and 23 points this season in 44 games good for a 30 goal pace, he is also 2nd in the NHL in hits with 210.
They give up two of their own 2nd-round picks over the next two seasons; they still have an additional 2nd-round pick acquired from Colorado for Mackenzie Blackwood last season. And minor league defenseman Cole Clayton. Clayton (25), was an off-season signing to add depth to the Barracuda defense he has 5 points in 33 games this year with the Cuda.
In theory, Sherwood is the perfect fit next to Celebrini and Smith, providing that line with a strong forechecking and finishing presence, and if he gets a consistent opportunity on that line, his offensive output could continue to improve. Sherwood scored a career high of 40 points last season after establishing himself as a full-time NHLer at the age of 28.
This is what Warsofsky had to say about acquiring Sherwood.
"He'll be in our top-9 there, and we think we got a really good one. He can skate. He's competitive. Top-five in hits...We've talked about him for a while now, Mike and the staff. Guy we really, really like and can fit how we want to play."
On paper, Sherwood is an excellent fit for the Sharks roster, and how they want to play, there are concerns to be had with this deal. Sherwood is a pending UFA, and without a contract extension in place, could very well choose to walk. In addition, his projected next contract is thought to be in the ballpark of 4-5 years at 4-5 million dollars per season. If it is a 5-year deal, there is a significant risk of decline during his age 31-36 seasons, especially for a player who plays the way he does.
The Sharks are hardly in a position to spend draft capital on rentals, so there should be a lot of pressure to get a deal done; otherwise, the Sharks may have to bite the bullet and try to recoup assets for Sherwood at the deadline, likely at a reduced rate.
If they can get Sherwood signed at a reasonable rate, however, I think this trade is a pretty solid piece of work for Grier and the Sharks, who are way ahead of schedule in their rebuild.
Sherwood is currently out with an injury expected to sideline him for 1-3 weeks, potentially delaying his Sharks debut until after the Olympic break.