As the Vancouver Canucks sit dead last in the NHL standings, the club has taken another clear step into rebuild mode.
On Monday morning, general manager Patrik Allvin announced the Canucks have traded one of their hardest-working forwards, Kiefer Sherwood, to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Cole Clayton and second-round draft picks in both the 2026 and 2027 NHL Entry Drafts.
“We would like to thank Kiefer for all his hard work and dedication in Vancouver,” Allvin said in a statement.
“Given where things currently stand and the direction of our rebuild, we felt it was necessary to make a move like this as we continue to build our pipeline.”
Sherwood, a pending unrestricted free agent, has 17 goals and 23 points in 44 games this season. The 30-year-old winger has not played since January 10th due to an undisclosed injury.
Last season, his first with Vancouver, Sherwood posted career highs with 19 goals and 40 points.
The six-foot winger is in the final year of a two-year, $3 million contract carrying a $1.5 million cap hit. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Anaheim Ducks in 2018, Sherwood has recorded 55 goals and 114 points across 288 NHL games with Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville, and Vancouver.
Coming back to the Canucks is Clayton, a 25-year-old right-shot defenceman who will report to the Abbotsford Canucks. Clayton has appeared in 33 games with the San Jose Barracuda this season, posting five points and 21 penalty minutes.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have acquired Cole Clayton and 2nd round picks in both the 2026 and 2027 NHL Entry Drafts from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Kiefer Sherwood.
DETAILS | https://t.co/joq7WzUoYv pic.twitter.com/uZpdUPJxMS
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 19, 2026
In 257 career AHL games split between San Jose and Cleveland, the Strathmore, Alberta native has 66 points and 162 penalty minutes.
Before turning pro, Clayton spent four seasons with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and led all WHL defencemen in goals and points during the 2020–21 season.
He was signed by the Sharks as an undrafted free agent on July 1st, 2025.
The added draft capital gives Vancouver seven selections in the 2026 Draft and eight in the 2027 Draft, further signalling a long-term approach as the organization reshapes its roster.
The Sherwood trade comes amid broader changes in Vancouver.
Last week, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported the Canucks were open to significant moves ahead of the March 6th trade deadline, including the possibility of dealing star centre Elias Pettersson.
“Management of the Vancouver Canucks is now using the rebuild word, so they have to be open for business,” Dreger said. He noted there has been no communication with Pettersson’s camp despite heavy speculation surrounding his future.
Pettersson, 27, has 13 goals and 29 points in 40 games this season and carries an $11.6 million cap hit through the 2031–32 season after signing an eight-year, $92.8 million contract in March 2024.
Vancouver has already made a franchise-altering move this season, trading captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in December. The Canucks have also been weighing trade options on pending unrestricted free agent Evander Kane since the fall.
Currently riding a 10-game winless skid, the Canucks have missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons and eight of the past 10, underscoring why the organization appears fully committed to rebuilding from the ground up.
