Sharks Land Kiefer Sherwood from Canucks in Three-Piece Deal

The San Jose Sharks made a significant addition to their lineup, acquiring forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. The Sharks sent second-round picks in the 2026 and 2027 drafts along with defenseman Cole Clayton to Vancouver in the three-piece deal.

Sherwood brings immediate value to a Sharks team holding the second wild card spot in the Western Conference with 51 points. The 30-year-old winger leads the entire NHL in hits this season and ranks second in the league behind only Yakov Trenin despite missing time recently with an upper-body injury.

Offensive Production and Physical Presence

The pending unrestricted free agent has posted 17 goals and 23 points in 44 games this season while recording over 200 hits. Sherwood set an NHL record last season with 462 hits and added a career-high 19 goals and 40 points in 78 games, proving he can contribute offensively while playing a punishing physical style.

His $1.5 million cap hit makes him an attractive addition for any playoff-bound team, and the Sharks possess the cap flexibility to absorb the contract without difficulty. Sherwood can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if the two sides cannot reach an extension.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have acquired Cole Clayton and 2nd round picks in both the 2026 and 2027 NHL Entry Drafts from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Kiefer Sherwood.

DETAILS | https://t.co/joq7WzUoYv pic.twitter.com/uZpdUPJxMS
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 19, 2026

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin addressed the trade in a statement.

"We would like to thank Kiefer for all his hard work and dedication in Vancouver," Allvin wrote. The general manager showed how much the Canucks valued Sherwood's two seasons with the organization.

"As an organization, we take a lot of pride in giving him the opportunity to grow and excel as a player. Given where things currently stand and the direction of our rebuild, we felt it was necessary to make a move like this as we continue to build our pipeline," he continued.

Vancouver Adds Draft Capital

The Canucks received significant draft capital in return for their leading goal scorer. Clayton, a 25-year-old right-shot defenseman, has posted two goals and five points in 33 games with the San Jose Barracuda this season. The undrafted player spent four seasons with the Cleveland Monsters before signing with the Sharks last summer.

Vancouver sits last in the NHL standings at 16-27-5 and has dropped 10 consecutive games entering Monday. The Canucks are clearly sellers ahead of the March 6 trade deadline and will continue rebuilding around their young core.

Thank you for bringing the energy and compete every single night, Woody!

Best of luck in San Jose. pic.twitter.com/YlggmxwBby
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 19, 2026

The Sharks face the Florida Panthers tonight at SAP Center before continuing their playoff chase against divisional rivals. With Sherwood joining a lineup led by rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks aim to hold off the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks in the tight Western Conference wild card race.

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