The Vancouver Canucks have officially traded Kiefer Sherwood

San Jose made it official Saturday, acquiring forward Kiefer Sherwood from Vancouver for the Sharks' second-round picks in 2026 and 2027, plus defenseman Cole Clayton.

It's a loud price, but it's a clear identity bet.

Sherwood is 30, six-foot, 194 pounds, undrafted, and he plays like he's still trying to earn his first NHL shift.

This season in Vancouver he has 23 points with 17 goals in 44 games, and that goal total led the Canucks when the deal was announced.

The hits are the headline for me, because they match the production.

Sherwood sits at 210 hits on the year, and that number had him second in the entire league at the time of the trade.

As a fan, you love this kind of add because it finally feels like a plan, not just another audition.

Sherwood isn't just finishing plays, he's starting them with forecheck pressure and second efforts.

Two hat tricks already this season tells you the offense isn't a fluke, it's a byproduct of chaos he creates himself.

For Mike Grier, it's also a roster fit next to young skill.

You can imagine Macklin Celebrini playing faster when there's a winger on his line who retrieves pucks, gets to the crease, and makes defenders miserable.

Vancouver, meanwhile, turns a storybook overachiever into real draft capital.

Two second-rounders can become NHLers, and Clayton is a 25-year-old right-shot defender who gives the organization another depth option.

Sherwood's path is part of why I think he sticks in any room.

He's played 309 NHL games across Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville, and Vancouver, and his AHL résumé includes a 75-point season in 57 games with Colorado's affiliate in 2021-22.

He was originally signed by Anaheim as a free agent in 2018, and he built this career one hard night at a time.

Now we get to see if that exact brand of honest, relentless hockey can drag the Sharks into more meaningful games down the stretch.