Sharks Acquire Kiefer Sherwood in Trade With Canucks

The Sharks acquired Kiefer Sherwood in a trade with the Canucks. | Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The Sharks made a splash on the trade market on Monday, and for the first time in a long time, San Jose was buying as opposed to selling.

The Sharks acquired Kiefer Sherwood from the Canucks on Monday, adding one of the NHL’s most aggressive forwards to the roster. In exchange for the 30-year-old, San Jose is sending two second-round picks (in 2026 and ‘27) and AHL defenseman Cole Clayton.

🔀 Welcome to San Jose, Kiefer Sherwood.

The Sharks have acquired the forward  from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for San Jose’s second-round selections in 2026 and 2027, and defenseman Cole Clayton.

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 19, 2026

Sherwood led the league in hits in 2024–25, and by a wide margin. He racked up 462 hits in 78 games (5.9 per game), which was 156 more than the next player in the league, Blue Jackets’ Mathieu Olivier. Thus far into the 2025–26 campaign, Sherwood is second in hits with 210 in 44 games. He trails only Wild forward Yakov Trenin (240).

In addition to his dominance along the boards, Sherwood has been having his best season to date in terms of goal scoring. Previously logging a career high of 19 goals, Sherwood has quickly racked up 17 in 44 games this season. He has 23 total points on the year.

San Jose finds itself in the mix for a playoff spot well ahead of schedule, thanks to the emergence of Macklin Celebrini as one of the best offensive players in the league. In recent seasons, February has been a time for the Sharks to sell off some expiring contracts and stock up on draft picks as they continue rebuilding. They’re singing a plenty different tune this time around, acquiring Sherwood and his expiring $1.5 million contract as they prepare to make a run for the postseason.

As for Vancouver, Sherwood is the latest veteran to be offloaded this season. Earlier this year, Quinn Hughes was traded to the Wild in a blockbuster deal, and there’s still the potential for plenty more moves from the franchise as it spirals into a rebuild.

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