The Vancouver Canucks trade of Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks was a bit of a headscratcher. Just about every contending club went hard for the impending UFA. But at the end of the day, it was the Sharks sending two second-round picks and an AHL player who landed Sherwood.
The botched trade was bad enough for the Canucks. However, it could get even worse. Chatter has begun to pick up, suggesting that the Sharks could flip Sherwood for a much better return than the one Vancouver got. Ouch.
That’s the thought that insider Elliotte Friedman conveyed on the January 20 edition of the Donnie & Dhali show. Friedman made a point about how the Sharks may not be thrilled about the cost to extend Sherwood. As such, the club may take its time to explore all options, including flipping Sherwood to another contending club.
Friedman stated:
“I think at this point in time, San Jose is not eager to pay like a $5×5, but we’ll see; Mike Grier has time here; he’s going to sit there and say, how’s the fit? ‘”
Now, it’s worth pointing out that Sherwood and the Sharks seem willing to give it the old college try. As another insider, The Athletic’s Chris Johston noted, the Sharks and the former Canucks forward are willing to make things work. He reported:
“Kiefer Sherwood’s excited about the opportunity that lays before him in San Jose; I think he’s fully willing to stay in San Jose, but it’s gonna cost a fair amount of money to get that done.”
The comments reported on TSN’s Early Trading could signal that Sherwood and the Sharks have time to make things work. Otherwise, the Sharks could benefit from the Canucks’ lack of patience in a subsequent trade.
Sharks Could Get a Better Return for Sherwood
The speculation is that the Canucks wanted to move Sherwood as soon as possible. However, the price began to drop rapidly, forcing Vancouver to pull the trigger. While the two draft picks were not bad, they were far below the purported asking price of a first-rounder and a prospect.
The Sharks, meanwhile, have the luxury of time. They can take the time from now until the March 6 trade deadline to field calls on Sherwood. If the Sharks are willing to move Sherwood, they could get the return the Canucks wanted.
It would all come down to a question of time.
Canucks Could Have Cashed In If They Had Waited
The Canucks could have cashed in on Sherwood if they had waited a bit longer. For instance, a team suffering a devastating injury could have paid far more than the Sharks did.
While that strategy could have worked, it could have also backfired. Sherwood could have sustained a serious injury, or his play could have dropped off the map. Either situation could have destroyed Sherwood’s market value.
Moving forward, the Canucks will need to recognize that time is money. When dealing valuable commodities, the hardest thing to do is time the market. In this case, Vancouver sold well before Sherwood’s value was at the top.
Canucks Sherwood Trade Could Look Even Worse