The news has come out that Detroit has some interest in Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood. It wouldn’t be the first time that Steve Yzerman has called the Canucks this season. After the Quinn Hughes saga, I’m sure they’re in cahoots. Fortunately, I can pat myself on the back, saying I made mock trades about this months ago, so now I get to dig a little deeper on a player I have already done some decent research on.

If you want to check out how any of these trades affect the teams involved or create mock trades yourself, use Box Score Junkie and their fantastic slew of NHL tools.

Why Would Detroit Want Kiefer Sherwood?

Detroit is clearly on the prowl for a left wing this season. With the news of them being interested in Mangiapane, it seems like Detroit is looking for some scoring on the left side. Kiefer Sherwood is the perfect player for what they need.

Full of heart and goals, Sherwood leaves it all on the ice. I could see him playing well with Larkin as a checking winger who can finish his chances. Marco Kasper creates a line that checks for their chances and can create hell on ice for the other team’s defence core, and even next to Andrew Copp as a gritty scoring option if DeBrincat moves around the lineup.

I could see McLellan being a big reason Detroit is pushing to make this trade too. All the comments coach McLellan has for this team are all things that are built in Sherwood’s game. He leads by example, something this team can really struggle with at times.

His goal scoring is also not to be overlooked. 17 goals at the mid-way mark of the year is downright incredible. Another 25-35 goal scorer is pretty much exactly what this roster needs to round itself out right now. 10 goals at even strength (and one shorthanded) are also things to be optimistic about.

He gets deployed fairly evenly, and I do think Detroit would love that about him, as currently the Patrick Kane line is all offensive zone play.

Sherwood gives you a lot of options, and because of that, there is going to be a big market for him and a high price tag. There are going to be some contenders who are going to be willing to part ways with a first-round pick to get him. I’m not sure what Detroit could do to match that.

Last season felt like a bit of an anomaly of teams paying too much. Toronto spent a first-round pick and more for both Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton. I don’t think that’s a trend that will continue this year, even for teams that view themselves as contenders. Expect the prices to come back down, even if they still remain a little higher than teams might be comfortable with.

2025-26 Stats: 42 gp 17 a 5 a 22 p

Mock Trade 1:

Vancouver Canucks Receive: 2026 1st Round Pick (top 10 protected)

Detroit Red Wings Receive: Kiefer Sherwood

You’ve got to imagine that Detroit’s first-round pick is worth a lot more than the ones that other contenders have. Sherwood turns 31 this season, while he leans slightly older, I’d imagine this is probably the oldest Yzerman would go while giving up a first-round pick. Detroit gets their depth scorer, that’s the good news. However, they give up a solid pick in a strong draft.

It could backfire, and the cost is high, but in a market like this, I’d imagine a rebuilding Canucks would probably be sold on a high-value first-round pick. If the trade makes both teams wince a bit, it’s probably a good trade.

It’s hard not to get hometown bias as a Red Wings fan, but Bertuzzi got Detroit a first-round pick when they dealt him, and I think Sherwood is likely viewed as the same type of player by the fans over in Vancouver.

Mock Trade 2:

Detroit Red Wings Receive: Kiefer Sherwood

This is probably the avenue Detroit would rather go down. Detroit avoids giving up a premium asset here and instead stockpiles solid ones. I think Lombardi would draw some interest from Vancouver because I don’t think he is ever going to be used right in Detroit. Between Buchelnikov, Danielson, Bear, and MBN, there are so many forwards coming up that Lombardi won’t get a great look.

Vancouver gets a handful of assets, including a pretty proven AHL stud. I can’t imagine this is the return they had in mind, but it’s certainly the type of trade avenue that Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings would want to go down.

Mock Trade 3:

Detroit Red Wings Receive: Kiefer Sherwood, 2027 3rd Round Pick, 2028 2nd Round Pick

How down are we on Marco Kasper? He’s a guy whom I will always have a ton of faith in, even with his season being this terrible. However, I have seen a bunch of Red Wings sources saying he has been so bad this season that they are lowering his ultimate ceiling. If Steve Yzerman sees it the same way, Kasper could be dealt as the most valuable asset in this deal.

Detroit would grab some draft capital in return, and he could be united with his countryman in Marco Rossi. I think there would be some strong interest from Vancouver; they get a young, ultra-competitive forward who will be there for years to come. Detroit takes a gamble that Bear and Danielson will fill out the role that Kasper was supposed to have.

Wrap Up:

This isn’t a bargain bin; this is a top player on the market. Kiefer Sherwood fits Detroit’s needs both now and for the next few years into the future. Admittedly, some of these deals favour Vancouver, but it is no doubt a seller’s market.

Here is the difference maker: when teams make the playoffs, they become a more attractive location for free agents and trade destinations. If Detroit takes the gamble now to get in, it might snowball.

Think about Montreal, they got Laine, made the playoffs, and then got Dobson a year after. Winning leads to more winning, and if Detroit grabs a player like Sherwood, even if it is for an uncomfortable amount to help them now, it might be the first domino to fall to make them one of the teams to look out for each season.

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