Kiefer Sherwood is perhaps the most intriguing free agent pickup by the Vancouver Canucks this year.
A late-bloomer, the 29-year-old has just 187 games of NHL experience, and the Canucks think he has some untapped potential.
At the very least, the former Nashville Predators winger sounds like a pain in the butt to play against.
“I talked to Quinn [Hughes], he was more excited about Sherwood than anyone. He said he pissed the whole team off there in the playoffs, playing hard,” Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said of the Sherwood acquisition. “He was laughing, he was happy to get him here.”
The Sherwood addition is another example of Allvin molding his team to the liking of head coach Rick Tocchet.
The scouting report on Sherwood is that he’s quick on the forecheck and isn’t afraid to punish opponents with big bodychecks.
Sherwood is listed at 6-foot-0 and 194 pounds, but he isn’t afraid to throw his weight around. The Columbus, Ohio, native finished 15th in the NHL in hits (234) last season and eighth in hits per 60 minutes at five-on-five among players who played at least 60 games.
It’s clear from listening to Sherwood that he knows his role.
“I try to use my speed and my physicality and work to create time and space for whoever I’m with,” Sherwood told reporters on Monday. “I like to use my shot. Energy is a big word for me and my identity. I try to bring that every shift.”
“I just try to be hard to play against. Doesn’t matter who I’m up there with, I want to create time and space for my linemates. And for other players too. If you start off hitting early [in the game], wearing the [defence] down, I think eventually, over the course of a game, I like to think that someone will get an opportunity somewhere in the offensive zone.”
Kiefer Sherwood, signed 2x$1.5M by VAN, is a bottom six forechecking winger who hits everything that moves. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/7iir8NVQn6
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2024
Sherwood certainly made an impact on the Canucks during the playoffs. Though he played in a bottom-six role with the Predators, he wasn’t sheltered at five-on-five in the playoffs. He played more against J.T. Miller than any other Canucks forward, and was on for just one goal against.
“You try to get the best players off their game. Some players are a little harder to do that [to] than others. There are multiple ways you can do that, whether that’s physically, verbally, or whatnot. I want to fit into the team as best I can with the style and make Vancouver a hard place to play.”
Tage Thompson and Kiefer Sherwood go for a short bout right off the draw 👊 pic.twitter.com/Ju9gqsYKqO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 22, 2023
Allvin talked about Sherwood playing on the penalty kill and maybe even on the second-unit power play in the bumper position. That would be a departure from Nashville, as the Preds didn’t utilize him much on special teams.
Maybe there’s more there?
Sherwood made the NHL as an undrafted free agent out of NCAA hockey in 2018. He has just 58 points in 187 career NHL games but has proven that he can score with regularity at every other level. He has 172 points in 186 career games in the AHL.
Sherwood scored all 27 of his points last season at even strength, which was sixth-best among Preds forwards at five-on-five. This came despite receiving fourth-line minutes, just 12:10 per game.
Perhaps Sherwood was under-utilized last season, as no other Nashville regular averaged less ice time than him (12:10).
Allvin identified Sherwood as a player who brings speed and can play up and down the lineup. While the Canucks do have top-end talent, there should be openings for complementary pieces on their top two lines.
🗣️ “There’s a lot of special things brewing, so I definitely want to be a part of it.”
Kiefer Sherwood speaks on his increased familiarity with the #Canucks during the first round of the playoffs and signing with the team today. pic.twitter.com/6M2glM8IFq
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) July 1, 2024