The Vancouver Canucks made a franchise-altering blockbuster move late last week, as they dealt superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. With this move, the Canucks moved on from their former captain and officially began their latest retool in the process.
The Canucks certainly ended up landing a big return for Hughes. This is because the Wild sent over forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium, and their 2026 first-round pick to the Canucks to bring in Hughes. With this, the Canucks landed three good young players who they are hoping will be a big part of their future and a first-round pick that they will look to hit with at the draft.
While the Canucks traded Hughes, there is no question that they have plenty more work to do. The Canucks are open for business, and with them being at the bottom of the NHL standings, more of their players are expected to be on the move. Pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) forward Kiefer Sherwood, however, is their biggest trade candidate now that Hughes has been dealt to the Wild.
With Sherwood having a bargain $1.5 million cap hit and in the middle of a strong season for the Canucks, he is expected to continue to generate a ton of interest as the season rolls on. Now, the best team currently in the NHL has been named a dark horse potential landing spot for the gritty Canucks winger.
Avalanche Named Dark-Horse Potential Landing Spot for Sherwood
In a recent article for theScore, John Matisz argued that the Colorado Avalanche could be a dark-horse club to watch in the Sherwood sweepstakes.
“Consider Colorado a dark horse. The (23-2-7) Avalanche may be the last team that needs to make a splash, and the front office should be turning over every stone to ensure the roster’s as deep as possible. Sherwood, a former Av, would have no issue keeping up in coach Jared Bednar’s high-paced system,” Matisz wrote.
When looking at the Avalanche’s roster, it is fair to argue that they would benefit by adding Sherwood to it. The 30-year-old forward would have the potential to be a strong addition to the Avalanche’s top nine, as he would not only provide them with more secondary scoring but also far more grit. Thus, he could be a great player for the Avalanche to bring back to Colorado as they look to win the Stanley Cup.
In 32 games on the year so far with the Canucks, Sherwood has posted 13 goals and 17 points. He has also recorded a whopping 140 hits this campaign, so there is no question that he would have the potential to be a big pickup for a contender like the Avalanche.
Avalanche Would Have a Ton of Competition for Sherwood
While Sherwood looks like he could be a great fit on the Avalanche, the same can be said for several other teams. Sherwood’s scoring ability, grit, and cheap contract make him a very appealing trade target. Thus, the Avalanche would have a lot of competition for him if they entered the sweepstakes.
A few teams that have been connected to Sherwood so far this season include the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens. Yet, it will be interesting to see if the Avalanche can end up being the team that lands the Canucks winger.
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