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Timing of Sherwood Trade Opens Door to Sharks Unexpected Pivot
The San Jose Sharks took a calculated gamble with the Kiefer Sherwood trade nand could flip the forward ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
The San Jose Sharks added Kiefer Sherwood to their roster on Monday, and the timing of the trade is intriguing. Many insiders, including Jeff Marek of The Sheet, wondered why the Vancouver Canucks made this trade now. With weeks to go before the NHL Trade Deadline, Vancouver might have been better off waiting for the market to change and increase its value. For the Sharks, the timing makes all the sense in the world.
San Jose is currently sitting in a playoff spot and playing well. 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, this trade was GM Mike Grier rewarding the team for outperforming expectations. A young, energetic group just added a very serious, in-your-face player to help push them forward and secure a playoff spot. But, seeing as the team is holding the third spot in the Pacific Division and a team like Utah actually has more points, (with the Ducks tied), a few losses could take San Jose out of the mix.
Should things go sideways, the Sharks have plenty of time to pivot and flip Sherwood, potentially getting more in return than Vancouver did.
Could the Sharks Flip Sherwood in a Deadline Trade?
The Canucks reportedly wanted a first-rounder for Sherwood, and the market didn’t conjure up that return. Likely out of fear that an injury might impact a future trade — and Vancouver didn’t want to risk not moving Sherwood — the Canucks dropped their asking price.
There’s also the not-so-small issue of the team drama surrounding the organization and that kind of emotional baggage can play games with a player. If Sherwood took a dip in his production, the trade value would have dropped even further.
These are not really issues for the Sharks. In their case, if they fall out of the playoffs by the deadline and Sherwood isn’t keen to re-sign, they can move him to the highest bidder in a rental situation. With more desperate teams looking to make a deadline splash, their two second-round picks potentially become a first.
This is great asset management by the Sharks. Sherwood lacks trade protection, so he can be moved anywhere. He’s inexpensive, so he remains a perfect rental player for a contender, which, if the Sharks prove not to be, they can say they tried, and it didn’t work out.
The Sharks had the draft picks to spare. Moving picks and knowing they can always get them back (maybe more) is just smart business. And, in the meantime, the players on the Sharks now know their GM is willing to make big moves to help this team. That alone is worth taking a calculated gamble like this.
As for teams who would be interested in Sherwood, the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, and others would be in the mix.
Next: NHL Trade Reality Check: Coleman, Thomas & Garland
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