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Vancouver Canucks have traded Kiefer Sherwood to a divisional opponent

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Jan 19 2026, 6:24 pm
Vancouver Canucks have traded Kiefer Sherwood to a divisional opponent
Bob Frid/Imagn Images

So much for any potential extension talks.

The Vancouver Canucks announced on Monday morning that they have traded forward Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. Coming the other way in the return is defenceman Cole Clayton, along with a second-round pick in both the 2026 and 2027 drafts.

Sherwood, 30, is in his second season with the Canucks after signing a two-year deal with them ahead of the 2024-25 season. He’s proven to be a great asset, not only setting an NHL record in hits last season, but also providing some solid secondary scoring. In 44 games this season, he has 17 goals and 23 points.

Despite there being talks that the Canucks and Sherwood had been discussing an extension, trading him was the right call in this situation. The Canucks are dead last in NHL standings and have lost 10 straight games. Re-signing a 30-year-old in the position they’re in as a franchise would have made very little sense.

As for the return, the Canucks made out okay by obtaining two second-round picks for a player who, on most playoff-calibre teams, would be a third-line player. As for Clayton, he is a 25-year-old defenceman who is in his fifth AHL season. In 33 games this season, he has two goals and five points.

This trade will absolutely hurt the Canucks this season, which should bode well in their hopes of landing a high pick at the 2026 draft.

As for Sherwood, he joins a young and exciting Sharks team that is involved in a tight playoff race. They currently sit in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference and are tied in points with the Seattle Kraken, who hold third place in the Pacific Division due to having more regulation wins.

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