Vancouver Canucks News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Kiefer Sherwood, Vancouver Canucks (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

Canucks Need to Prioritize Trading Kiefer Sherwood

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Lukas Bernasiewicz | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 8:45 AM ET

On Hockey Night in Canada’s headlines segment on Saturday, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Vancouver Canucks had made an offer to pending unrestricted free agent Kiefer Sherwood. Friedman said he believes there to be a “sizeable gap” between the two sides as they negotiate a new contract. With Sherwood having a breakout season and being one of the few bright spots this season, he will want a lot of money, as he hasn’t had the chance to earn a big payday in his career so far. That is why the Canucks should make it a priority to trade him in the near future.

Why Trade Him?

Trading Sherwood will be another move to help the Canucks in this retooling phase that they have put themselves in. After trading Quinn Hughes and getting a sizeable return that will help their team immensely, the Canucks can now add even more players by trading Sherwood. He is currently in the midst of a career season with 17 goals and 21 points in 41 games. With the salary cap set to take yet another big increase this offseason, Sherwood will rightfully want a significant pay raise from his current $1.5 million cap hit. No one knows what his current asking price is, but if he were to hit free agency on July 1, I believe he will get what he wants and maybe even more.

Vancouver does not have the luxury of paying bottom-six players upwards of $5 million, which is what I predict Sherwood is asking for and could receive on the open market. Next season, two important players on the Canucks’ roster will receive raises due to contract extensions kicking in. Those players are Conor Garland, who will get a raise of nearly $1 million and Thatcher Demko, who will get a raise of $3.5 million. With that $4.5 million being added to the books, Vancouver can’t add another big extension to their cap, especially for a player who does not normally play in their top-six forward group. A trade will be best for both sides.

What Can the Canucks Get in Return?

With how Sherwood has played this season, the Canucks have an opportunity to get a really good package for him in a trade. In my opinion, they did a really great job in the Quinn Hughes trade as they got three everyday players in that deal, along with a first-round pick in this upcoming draft. I don’t expect them to get the same haul in this case, but they can make another great trade for their franchise and lead this next era of Canucks hockey in the right direction.

A Sherwood trade with the season he’s had should fetch the Canucks a useful player and a draft pick, or potentially two useful players. Something else that they need to take advantage of in this case is Sherwood’s lack of trade protection. He has no protection at all, just like Hughes, meaning that they can trade him to any team.

By fielding offers from every team in the NHL as the trade deadline nears, offers will go up and up and up because the Canucks have a player that every team in the NHL will want to use during the playoffs. Some teams get desperate and may even give up a first-round pick, like when the Tampa Bay Lightning gave up five draft picks for Tanner Jeannot in 2023. If the Canucks can get a first-round pick, they will then have three in the same draft, which they can use to either add to their prospect pool or trade for an even bigger player.

It’s never great to trade players that are having seasons as good as Sherwood’s, but if the Canucks move him, they will have the chance to add more pieces to their team, making them better for seasons to come, and hopefully getting them back into the playoffs. Sherwood has played great in Vancouver, but when you have a piece as good as him, and you are a bottom-five team, trading that piece is always the right decision.