The Vancouver Canucks have made themselves comfortable near the bottom of the NHL standings, having lost eight of their past 10 games (2-5-3).
And so we wait for the first player to be shipped out of town. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that “there is nothing imminent in Vancouver … and (the Canucks) are more than comfortable to take their time, just see what the market is and wait if they have to.”
When Canucks management starts the sell-off, forward Kiefer Sherwood is expected to be part of it. The 30-year-old winger, who leads the Canucks with 12 goals, is in the final year of a contract that carries a team-friendly $1.5-million cap hit. Last week, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported that Sherwood is “looking for at least $30 million over six years ($5 million AAV) out of Vancouver,” which probably closes the door on a return.
“I try not to look at (trade rumours),” Sherwood told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre last week. “I think we just try to focus on playing and try to stay in the present. You know, I love it here and I love this group here, and I just want to continue to take it day by day. That stuff will sort itself out.”
Sherwood possesses qualities that NHL general managers covet come playoff time. He set the league’s single-season record with 462 hits in 2024-25 — 79 more than the previous mark — and is second only to Minnesota’s Yakov Trenin (121) this season with 106.
After scoring a career-high 19 goals in 78 games last season, Sherwood came flying out of the gate with nine goals in 12 October games. Unsurprisingly, Sherwood cooled off last month, scoring three times in 14 games.
It was unrealistic to expect Sherwood to keep converting on 20 per cent of his total shot attempts. Interestingly, Sherwood was far more active in the slot in November than the previous month, attempting 53.6 per cent of his shots from there. That number was 37.8 per cent in October.
Accuracy was an issue last month; Sherwood hit the net on just 43.3 per cent of his scoring chances in November (13/30), compared to 76.5 per cent in October (13/17). He scored seven of his nine October goals from the inner slot.
Sherwood’s max skating speed this season ranks in the 80th percentile, according to NHL Edge. It helps him make plays off the rush, where he has scored 11 goals over the past two seasons, and create havoc on the forecheck. Sherwood averages 2.32 defensive plays in the offensive zone per 20 minutes — 81st out of 417 forwards who have played at least 100 minutes at 5-on-5 this season.
Potential landing spots for Sherwood
Philadelphia Flyers: Friedman mentioned Philadelphia as a potential destination for Sherwood. Of course, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet knows him from coaching the Canucks last season.
The Flyers, who are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, have ramped up the pressure on the forecheck in Tocchet’s first season, climbing from 26th to fourth in forecheck scoring chances per game at 5-on-5. Sherwood’s familiarity with Tocchet would theoretically make for a seamless transition.
New York Islanders: The Islanders were dealt a big blow last week when top-six forward Kyle Palmieri (18 points) suffered a torn ACL that will sideline him for at least six months. Before the injury, Palmieri was one of the league’s top net-front players, ranking tied for 11th in inner-slot shots. Sherwood does not shy from the hard areas, either.
The Islanders are a fascinating team. They are third in total expected goals for (85.8) but tied for 21st in actual goals scored (75). The difference (minus-10.8) is the second-largest in the league, ahead of only the Detroit Red Wings (minus-13.3).
Boston Bruins: Two players, Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak, are carrying the Bruins’ offence, combining for 31 of the team’s 81 goals. Sherwood would rank second on the Bruins in goals (12) and tied for third in scoring chances (47).
Off-season additions Viktor Arvidsson, Michael Eyssimont and Tanner Jeannot have scored 14 total goals. Boston needs more consistent secondary scoring to compete in the Atlantic Division, and Sherwood can provide that.
Tampa Bay Lightning: After a 1-4-2 start, the Lightning have won 15 of 18 to take the Atlantic Division lead. Tampa Bay has a history of paying premium prices for depth forwards, such as Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow in 2020, as well as Jeannot in 2023. Last season, the Lightning traded two first-round picks to acquire forwards Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken. (Tampa Bay has a second-round pick in the 2026 draft that could be used to acquire Sherwood.)
There are relative unknowns — Gage Goncalves, Curtis Douglas and Dominic James — scattered across the Lightning’s forward lineup. Sherwood could bring valuable experience as Tampa Bay gears up for another run at the Stanley Cup.
All stats via Sportlogiq
