Kiefer Sherwood Linked to New Team Not Previously on the Radar

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood

Keifer Sherwood's days with the Vancouver Canucks are surely nearing an end. The pending unrestricted free agent has been linked to a number of different teams in trade rumors, including the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, NY Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and others.

But we now have a new contending team linked to the gritty, physical power forward, a team that has not previously been discussed as having him on the radar.

According to veteran NHL analyst Jesse Granger in The Athletic, the Vegas Golden Knights are an ideal match for Sherwood.

I’m not expecting a blockbuster deal out of the Golden Knights this deadline, but Kiefer Sherwood would be an excellent addition. He does a lot of things Vegas desperately needs out of its wingers at the moment. He’s big, strong, good on the forecheck and drives the front of the net. For all of the playmakers the Golden Knights have up front, they could use some brute force.

Usually, when it comes time for trade season, we expect the Golden Knights to go for the brightest, shiniest toy on the market. But from the way Granger explains it, Sherwood is just what the doctor ordered in Vegas, and the team may play it a little more conservatively at the deadline this year.

Sherwood on pace for career-high in goals

With big hits and a knack (in streaks) for finding the back of the net, Sherwood has put himself on a lot of teams' radars with his play this season. He's up to 16 goals now after his third career hat trick earlier this month. He also has 169 hits in 37 games, after setting an NHL record in that category last season, with a bone-rattling 462 hits. Fourth-liner Keegan Kolesar currently leads Vegas with 107 hits.

The Canucks' ask in return for Sherwood, which was once a first-round pick and a prospect, is said to have been lowered in recent weeks, as he's only scored in two of Vancouver's last 17 games. The Golden Knights don't have a first-rounder in the 2026 NHL Draft, but they do have a second-round pick. Would that, plus another something, be enough to get the job done? There are plenty of suitors, so that's in question.