Sharks Pivot on Trading Kiefer Sherwood, Sign Forward Instead

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the San Jose Sharks have signed forward Kiefer Sherwood to a new contract extension. The deal is for five years at $5.75 million, with a signing bonus for the first four years and trade protection.

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Seravalli writes, “The Sharks have made progress on contract extension talks with Kiefer Sherwood, as expected. Short of an unforeseen development, it’s unlikely that Sherwood is flipped between now and Friday’s deadline.”

It was believed the Sharks might flip Sherwood at the trade deadline, but they’ve decided to hang onto him. Elliotte Friedman reported, “As just mentioned on @FAN590, believe this will be a five-year deal, just under a $6M AAV when completed.” It turns out the deal was just shy of that.

This is a big deal for Sherwood and a huge raise over his current contract at a $1.5 million cap hit. It shows how much the Sharks believe in Sherwood, who hasn’t done much since arriving in San Jose because of an injury.

With Sherwood officially off the trade market, it will require contenders to look around the market and try to find a different inexpensive depth forward who can also play in a top-six role.

The Sharks acquired Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks back on January 19, 2026, in exchange for two second-round picks (2026 and 2027) and prospect defenseman Cole Clayton.

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