What's it going to cost the Vancouver Canucks to re-sign Sherwood?
What’s not to love about Kiefer Sherwood?
He hits skates like the wind, hits like a truck, and can put the puck in the back of the net, too.
The Vancouver Canucks winger is red-hot to start the season, proving that last season was no fluke.
Sherwood set a career-high in goals (19), assists (21), and points (40) during his first year in Vancouver, all while setting a new NHL hits record.
It’s early, but the Columbus, Ohio, native is on pace for 49 goals this season. He’s scoring on 31.6 per cent of his shots right now, so nobody expects him to reach that total, but scoring six goals in 10 games has caught the attention of Canucks fans and media.
Oilers staffers currently searching the lower bowl seats for Ekholmâs jock strap pic.twitter.com/ZlXDq5QkUI
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That’s true not just because of how he has scored his goals — with many of them being of the highlight-reel variety.
But Sherwood’s scoring touch has some worried that he’ll price himself out of town.
The price is going up on the 30-year-old winger, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Sherwood will surely earn more than double his current bargain $1.5-million salary, but how much more is he set to make?
Sherwood switched agents during the summer and is now represented by Judd Moldaver, whose list of clients includes players like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Roman Josi. He also represents Canucks winger Conor Garland.
The Canucks, so far, have taken a “wait-and-see approach,” according to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK.
“[Contract talks] are quiet. The two sides have touched base, but no serious talks,” Dhaliwal said on Monday’s edition of Donnie and Dhali.
Dhaliwal suggested that Sherwood’s new annual salary will be over $4 million.
“The Canucks are weighing what to do here,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added on 32 Thoughts.
Friedman notes that the Canucks bucked up for Dakota Joshua following the 2023-24 season, paying him $3.25 million annually on a four-year contract, and it didn’t go well.
“I think they were a bit scared off by that,” Friedman said.
Joshua scored 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games that season, but struggled last season, following a testicular cancer surgery. The Canucks traded the rugged winger to Toronto in the offseason, and he has just three points (2-1-3) in nine games with the Maple Leafs so far.
Sherwood is clearly a late bloomer, which throws a wrench into things, because he’ll turn 31 before his next contract kicks in. How much longer will he be able to play his bruising style into his 30s, and is his offensive output at all sustainable?
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin needs to decide if this is another Alex Burrows situation.
Burrows, who, like Sherwood, was undrafted and had an incredible work ethic, had his breakout season at age 27. It coincided with the final year of his contract, and GM Mike Gillis thought strongly about trading him.
Burrows scored 28 goals in 2008-09, and it proved to be no mirage.
But can the Canucks afford to pay Sherwood $4 million until his mid-30s?
Can they afford to let him go for nothing?
If there’s a type of guy you should spend extra money on, it’s Sherwood. You’ll never question his effort, and I suspect that won’t change with more money in his bank account.
But are you counting on him to score 20 goals? He’s never done that before.
Neither has Drew O’Connor, whom the Canucks decided to pay $2.5 million last spring.
If you’re going on that barometer, safe to say Sherwood’s easily worth $4 million.
But if he keeps scoring, the price will go up.
We don’t know yet if Sherwood is a bona fide 20-goal scorer, but he’s clearly not a fourth liner anymore. His combination of size, speed, and skill makes him a third liner at worst, and on the Canucks, he probably belongs on the second line.
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