Stalled Contract Negotiations Give the Leafs an Opportunity to Trade for One of the Hardest Hitters in the NHL
Photo credit: Bob Frid - Imagn Images
In the midst of stalled contract negotiations, the Maple Leafs would be wise to peruse a trade one of the NHL's heaviest hitters, Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood.
With Leafs GM Brad Treliving still perusing the trade market for an impact forward, there's one player in particular that would fit like a glove in Craig Berube's north-south system in Vancouver's Kiefer Sherwood.
The Canucks forward enjoyed a career-season last year under a similarly coached Rick Tocchet when he registered 19 goals and 40 points in 78 games to go along with an NHL-leading 462 hits and has started off strong this year again with 3 goals and 16 hits in 3 games.
Sherwood Stuck at Impasse With Uncertain Contract Situation
Despite his continued rise, contract talks have stalled between Sherwood and the Canucks, according to the Fourth Period's David Pagnotta.
"There have been some conversations. Yeah, they're talking, but there's a difference between talking and there's a difference between negotiating and they're not at that second stage yet," he said.
DFO's Irfaan Gaffar adds a little more context in that Vancouver is worried that because of his current play, his salary could double by the time they put pen to paper, which is a cause for concern for their front office.
"They haven't really gotten to the nitty-gritty of negotiations just yet. I think there's a little bit of worry that if he replicates what he did last season, or comes close to it or surpasses it, it's gonna cost them too much. He's at $1.5 million (AAV). If he puts up those numbers again, he's at least doubling (his annual salary), and I think that's a little bit of a concern from the Canuck side of things."
The Perfect Maple Leafs Trade Scenario
There are a lot of factors working in Toronto's favour that makes this a slam dunk decision. For starters, Treliving has a working relationship with Patrick Allvin when the two of them struck a deal for Dakota Joshua over the summer.
Additionally, the Canucks are probably more focused on a looming Quinn Hughes extension, whereas Toronto is sitting pretty with most of it's team already locked down and nearly $20 million in cap space to play with heading into the 2026-27 season.
The Leafs also have the picks required for a Sherwood trade as well as replacement-level forwards that the Canucks could use in Calle Jarnkrok or Nicholas Robertson if they were to find common ground.
It's a move that makes too much sense, but if the Leafs remain more focused on adding a top-six forward, they could miss out on a very useful piece in Sherwood.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 14 | 770 ANSWERS Stalled Contract Negotiations Give the Leafs an Opportunity to Trade for One of the Hardest Hitters in the NHL Should the Maple Leafs make it a priority to acquire Kiefer Sherwood? | ||
| Yes, he's exactly what we need right now | 392 | 50.9 % |
| No, we need more skilled guys right now | 378 | 49.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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