Kiefer Sherwood for a First? Canucks Turn Down Solid Offer

As the trade deadline creeps closer, eyes are on Kiefer Sherwood. Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Rick Dhaliwal discussed what the Vancouver Canucks might get for him. On paper, it looks solid: Sherwood leads the team in goals, he’s a power-play spark, kills penalties, racks up hits, and has a motor that just doesn’t quit. He’s also a team guy through and through, and his salary is as friendly as a bakery on an early Saturday morning. Every playoff contender could find a home for him.

The problem isn’t talent—it’s timing and leverage. The Olympic roster freeze on February 4th looms, and teams only have about twelve days before the trade deadline to make a move. If Sherwood’s still sidelined with injury, that urgency shrinks faster than you can say “deadline panic.”

A First-Round Pick for Sherwood Might Be a Dream

Here’s where it gets tricky. Some people still think “first-round pick” when talking about Sherwood. And when he was on a scoring streak, some teams were willing to say yes to tossing in a first. At the start, teams were excited, the market was alive, and optimism was running wild. Fast-forward to today, injuries mounting and the trade clock ticking, and that first-round pick doesn’t look so golden anymore. As Dhaliwal puts it, it’s more like a story you tell yourself to feel better.

Even NHL insiders admit it. Chris Johnston revealed that the Canucks have received legitimate offers for Sherwood, which they rejected.

“I know they have received offers of a second-round pick and a pretty good prospect for him, and didn’t take it. So, that tells you where the offer has to go to get it done.”

Sherwood is a proven quantity, but teams like the Philadelphia Flyers are more inclined to move mid-level assets instead of a first-rounder. Given the situation, getting a first-rounder for Sherwood isn’t impossible, but it’s increasingly unlikely. Vancouver can give it the “old college try,” but reality has a way of trimming expectations.