The San Jose Sharks are battling for a playoff spot because the NHL season nears the Olympic break. In consequence, San Jose elected to fortify its roster for the primary time under general manager Mike Grier. The Sharks acquired forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks before the trade freeze next month.
Sherwood has been involved in trade rumors for some time at his point. The journeyman forward has been a late bloomer, recently developing right into a goal-scoring power forward. Despite the rumors, the most recent member of the Sharks’ roster admitted that the deal caught him by surprise a bit.
“Obviously, [I was] a little bit caught off guard,” Sherwood said, via NHL.com. “… At the beginning, I’m really thankful for every part that town and this organization has given me. And I do know they are saying you earn it, but you’ve got to have the chance, and as a man that has been a late bloomer, it’s every part I could have hoped for and more, and this is actually a special place to play.”
San Jose’s spot within the postseason is way from secure. They currently own the No. 3 seed within the Pacific Division, but there are multiple teams close behind. The Anaheim Geese, Los Angeles Kings, and Seattle Kraken are all inside two points of the Sharks.
Sherwood should help provide needed goal-scoring depth. He joins San Jose having scored 17 goals and 23 points in 44 games for the Canucks. He’s currently on pace for a profession high 30 goals in 2025-26. Sherwood could make his Sharks debut on Tuesday night when San Jose takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning.