Canucks' Sherwood Linked To 8 Teams
There is, not surprisingly, any shortage of teams showing interest in the Vancouver Canucks' Kiefer Sherwood now that the team is in last place in the NHL and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better.
Sherwood has a cap hit of just $1.5 million AAV, has 12 goals and 16 points in 28 games, hits everything that moves, and plays a lot on both the power play and penalty kill. He is on pace for 35 goals and 47 points, and is also looking to sign a long-term deal at a much larger cap hit than he currently has on his next deal.
David Pagnotta reported. "Dallas, Minnesota has been in the mix. Boston, Montreal, the Flyers, the Kraken...Columbus. Edmonton to an extent. I'm not anticipating that happening."
The Dallas Stars just lost Tyler Seguin for the season and Matt Duchene has only played four games this season due to an injury. The Stars need better players for their top-9 and Sherwood can step in.
If the Minnesota Wild were healthy, they'd look much better, but Marcus Foligno, Daniil Yurov, Marco Rossi, and Vinnie Hinostroza are all on the shelf. Too much of the depth is being tested and the goaltending/defense or the few top guns have to carry the team. More depth scoring is needed and Sherwood would fit in nicely.
The Boston Bruins are surprisingly better than most expected this season and are second in their division. Despite a few players leading the charge offensively, it is a weak forward group with not great depth. Sherwood would provide multiple layers to make them better and there's room to extend him.
The Montreal Canadiens are right behind Boston and feel good about their team, which is looking to take another step forward. Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, and Patrik Laine are all out and the replacements haven't been great. It doesn't look like the Habs are getting any internal help soon, so upgrading with a player like Sherwood would be a big help.
The Philadelphia Flyers are seven games over .500 and the new additions have really done well for them this season. Tyson Foerster just got injured pretty badly, so there is a need to upgrade in the top-9 and plenty of room to bring in a player that would be loved in Philly for his style of play.
The Seattle Kraken have had two bad losses to the Edmonton Oilers in the past week, but are still in the mix. They have always been about forward depth and having more than one or two lines lead the way. That's how they are built and how they were built when the team went to the second round of the playoffs. Jaden Schwarz is injured, but there is still plenty of space to add as multiple young players can be sent to the AHL for more conditioning.
Boone Jenner and Mathieu Olivier are both injured for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but there is still more than enough space for Columbus to add to their team. Again, this would likely lead to an extension and Yegor Chinakhov headed back to Vancouver, but the Blue Jackets are trying to build something.
As for the Oilers, they have so much forward depth when healthy. The problem is they haven't been fully healthy this season and have always had multiple forwards on the shelf. I agree with Pagnotta doubting the Oilers make a move for Sherwood, but he is the kind of energy player they need. If a team is willing to pay more and try to get Sherwood to an extension, they will have favour over the Oilers likely looking for a rental.
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