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

Kiefer Sherwood Is Forcing the Canucks to Take Notice

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Every once in a while, a player shows up who forces a team to rethink its plans. For the Vancouver Canucks, that player right now is Kiefer Sherwood.

The Sherwood Canucks Fans Are Seeing Now Is a Huge Surprise

Honestly, no one I know saw this transformation coming. When the Canucks signed Sherwood to a two-year, $1.5-million deal, he was supposed to be a depth piece. He’s a hard-skating, physical forward who could grind out minutes, throw his body around, and chip in the odd goal. What he’s become, at least through the first 11 games of this season, is something altogether different — a wrecking ball who scores.

Sherwood has already piled up six goals and 50 hits through his first 11 games. He led his team with five hits in the 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers last night. He’s averaging nearly two hits for every shift, and he’s scoring at a rate that would make a top-six winger proud.

Sunday night’s 4–3 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers was the best example yet of what he’s bringing. He scored twice — once late in the second to put Vancouver ahead, and again in overtime when he parked himself in front and tipped home a Brock Boeser shot for the win (And that doesn’t count the one that was overturned on a Canucks offside call). It wasn’t pretty, but it was exactly the kind of greasy goal that wins games in this league.

That’s Sherwood in a nutshell. He’s all effort, no hesitation. He doesn’t float, doesn’t wait for the puck to come to him. He goes and gets it, and he usually takes a piece of someone on the way.

Sherwood’s Unexpected Climb in Vancouver

This isn’t just a hot streak. Last season, Sherwood broke out with 19 goals, 40 points, and an NHL-record 462 hits — almost six per game. That’s an outrageous number, the kind of physical commitment you only see from players who either don’t know how to pace themselves or refuse to. Sherwood’s managed to do it without breaking down, and now he’s tacking on consistent offense to that crash-and-bang game.

He’s also playing big minutes. In the Oct. 20 win over Washington, he logged over 23 minutes — the most of any Canucks forward that night — and added a power-play goal for good measure. When injuries hit, and both Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimaki left early, Sherwood took on more ice and didn’t blink. You can see why head coach Adam Foote loves him.

The thing is, he’s forcing management into a tricky spot. In the discussion above, Dan Riccio and the crew on Real Kyper & Bourne hit the nail on the head: what do you do when a player you paid like a grinder starts producing like a middle-six scorer? You love the value, sure. But if he keeps this up, the next contract won’t be cheap. Somewhere around $4 million, maybe more, would be the going rate for this kind of hybrid.

What’s the Right Move for the Canucks Regarding Sherwood?

That’s where it gets complicated. The Canucks have been burned before by over-committing to their heart-and-soul players. Dakota Joshua is a perfect example. As a physical forward, he earned a multi-year deal and played his way into the team’s identity, only to get hurt, cost too much, and end up moving to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Those lessons stick.

But there’s one thing: Sherwood’s style fits what the Canucks need to the letter. The Canucks are building around effort, structure, and accountability. And right now, He’s the living embodiment of that. You can’t teach his energy or his persistence.

Vancouver Canucks left wing Kiefer Sherwood celebrates the overtime win with teammates against the Edmonton Oilers (Simon Fearn-Imagn Images)

He’s not a perfect player — his offense will cool off eventually (won’t it?), and his game-to-game consistency still needs to tighten up. Still, you can’t deny the fact that every night he’s in the middle of things. Whether it’s throwing a hit, drawing a penalty, or cleaning up garbage in front, he’s making a difference.

Sherwood Has Become a Player Worth Betting On

Vancouver has been looking for players like this for years: honest, physical, low-ego guys who drag the game into the trenches and stay there. Sherwood might not be a superstar, but he’s something just as valuable. He’s a player who gives his team an identity.

If the Canucks are serious about building a team that plays the right way, they might want to think twice before letting another one of these guys slip away. Sherwood isn’t just earning his minutes — he’s earning his place in Vancouver’s future.