Early Kiefer Sherwood destinations before 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The Vancouver Canucks have already made the biggest trade of the 2025-26 NHL season, dealing Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. But when the NHL trade deadline comes in March, the Canucks should be selling off pieces, including forward Kiefer Sherwood. At 30 years old, Sherwood is hitting free agency after the season and has 17 goals in 41 games. Which teams should call on Sherwood before the deadline?

The Canucks got three top prospects from the Wild for Hughes, along with a 2026 first-round pick. With their place at the bottom of the Western Conference unlikely to change, they should be looking for more future assets to build a contender down the line. All of the teams calling on Sherwood should be prepared to part with a top draft pick and maybe a prospect.

The Canucks should be selling pieces at the deadline, and no player left on the team will get them the haul that Sherwood will. These are the teams in the best position to pay it.

The Ducks are ready to contend

After hiring Joel Quenneville in the offseason, the Ducks got out to a hot start. While they have cooled off lately, 2-6-2 in their last ten, they are still in a playoff position in the Western Conference. The depth in Anaheim is not as strong as it needs to be to make a deep playoff run. Adding Sherwood to the middle six would be a great way to add the scoring they need for this year's playoff run.

Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov has reportedly requested a trade, but should have value as a 22-year-old with offensive upside. A logjam on the blueline has decreased his playing time significantly. But the Canucks have plenty of opportunities for defensemen and should be creating more soon. Mintyukov, with a few draft picks, which the Ducks have plenty of, should get this deal done. Plus, they may not need to part with a first-rounder if they deal Mintyukov.

Sherwood started his career with the Ducks, playing 60 games from 2018-20. He scored just six goals and 13 points in those games in Southern California.

Kiefer Sherwood would be a great fit with the Islanders

The Islanders have been invigorated by the play of first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer this season. It is easy to forget that the Isles were supposed to be bad this year and are set up for a big offseason in 2026. But could Mathieu Darche push in some of those chips at his first trade deadline as a general manager? They have the assets, and Sherwood would be a solid fit.

The Islanders lost Kyle Palmieri to a torn ACL back in November and have seen Bo Horvat in and out of the lineup with an injury. If they want any chance of making the playoffs and going far, they need to score more goals. Saturday's win over the Toronto Maple Leafs was the first time in nine games that they scored over two goals. And three of the goals were scored by defensemen.

The Islanders have two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, with the Colorado Avalanche's selection in the cupboard from the Brock Nelson trade. They also have veterans Anders Lee and JG Pageau on expiring deals and struggling on offense. Could a three-way trade, which puts Pageau or Lee in a new spot and lands Sherwood on Long Island, be possible? Deals like that are uncommon in the NHL, but this could be a situation where it makes sense.

The Bruins cash some chips in

Similar to the Islanders, the Bruins are hanging around the playoff race without any preseason expectations. With an extra first-round pick from last year's trade deadline, they are armed with some surplus heading into 2026. But that extra pick they have is from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who may end up in the top-ten. That won't be leaving Boston's custody, but their own pick might.

The Bruins should be more focused on adding centers to their team, as that has been a weakness for them for years. Sherwood is a winger who has no experience in the middle. They may be better off going after available centers, like Pageau, but do have the picks and prospects to land two pieces and kickstart their rebuild.