NHL Rumors: Stars & Canucks Becoming Trade Partners

Tuesday, December 30, 2025 ,

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood reacts during 2025 game.

Kiefer Sherwood is has turned into one of the more interesting names on the market, and the Dallas Stars are popping up as a fit. 

Vancouver has made its pending unrestricted free agents available, and Sherwood checks a lot of boxes for a contender because he's producing at a career level while carrying a low cap hit. With 16 goals in 38 games and a reputation for being a heavy, disruptive winger, he looks like the kind of add that can matter in tight playoff hockey, especially for a Stars team that can't make it past the Western Conference Finals.

Why the Dallas Stars make sense for Kiefer Sherwood

Sherwood’s contract is a big part of the appeal. At $1.5 million, he is the kind of pickup that allows a team to get better without doing gymnastics just to fit a cap hit. 

He also brings a specific identity. He plays fast, finishes checks, and he already proved last season he can drive physical play at a rare level. Add in the current scoring surge and you can see why teams keep circling even while the price keeps climbing.

Vancouver reportedly wants a strong return and there is chatter about a first rounder type price tag. Dallas does not own a first round pick in the upcoming draft, which makes the conversation less simple. 

That's why this feels like a deal where the Stars would need to get creative with a young roster player who still carries upside.

How Mavrik Bourque could be the key trade chip

If Vancouver’s direction is to get younger and reshape the roster, Mavrik Bourque is the type of name that fits the ask. He is 23, he has shown real offense in the American Hockey League, and he is at the age where a new opportunity can change the trajectory fast. 

Bourque won the AHL MVP award in the 2023-24 season, racking up 26 goals and 51 assists for 77 points across 71 games played. He was the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

He's still adjusting to NHL play, however, and has put up five goals and 12 points over 39 games played this season. He's averaging 13:58 time on ice per game, 

If the Canucks are looking at Sherwood as a valuable chip they can cash in, a young forward who can grow into a bigger role starts to make sense as the centerpiece. They're already seeing that start to pay off with Liam Ohgren, albeit a small sample size.

For Dallas, Bourque is also the kind of player you can imagine being available in the right deal, especially if the Stars feel the window is wide open and they need help up front now.  

Vancouver would get a younger piece it can bet on as it retools, and Dallas gets a ready made winger who can help immediately without costing them a top roster defenseman or a core starter. Dallas might have to throw in a draft pick too.

Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

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