The Wild’s perfect trade offer for Kiefer Sherwood from the Canucks

The Minnesota Wild they are having a phenomenal season. The Wild are 27-13-9 on the seasonand are tied for second in the Central Division. The franchise has made the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons, but has yet to make it out of the first round. If they want to make a run for the Cup this year, they still have some moves to make, one of which is for Kiefer Sherwood.

The The Canucks have signaled they are open for business. This year they already moved Quinn Hughes and traded him to the Wild. The price was high for Wilderness. They sent a 2026 first-round pick, plus Marco Rossi, Zeev Bujum and Liam Ohgren to the Canucks to get a star blueliner. With the Canucks willing to trade players, the deal between the Wild and the Canucks could happen again.

Sherwood joined the NHL as an undrafted free agent, initially playing for the Anaheim Ducks. During his time with the Ducks and later with the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators, Sherwood often split time between the NHL and AHL. Since his final season in Nashville in 2023-24 and his time in Vancouver thus far, he has been a presence in the NHL and is thriving. In the 2023-24 season, he collected 27 points, and 40 points for the Canucks in the 2024-25 season. He already has 23 points in 44 games so far this year. That puts him on pace for a second straight 40-point season.

Why trade Kiefer Sherwood?

The Wild need to keep up in the Western Conference. If the Wild hold on to first place in the Central Division, they wouldn’t have to play a team from the Pacific Division until the conference finals in the playoffs, unless they somehow grab the top seed in the division and face a wild card team. Still, the Pacific has some solid teams. The Edmonton Oilers have advanced to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, while the Vegas Golden Knights are leading the division. The The Golden Knights also added Rasmus Anderson in the trade with the Calgary Flames.

Meanwhile, the Wild have a lot of competition in their own division. The Avalanche are the best team in the NHL right now and will likely look to add him before the trade deadline. Further, the Dallas Stars are expected to be active in the trade market and would currently be a first round matchup. As the standings stand, a run to the Cup Finals could mean a series against the Stars, Avalanche, or Oilers or Golden Knights. If the Wild want to escape, they need to improve.

The Wild are scoring 3.10 goals per game this year, which ranks them 17th in the NHL. Sherwood would give the Wild another scoring option on the second or third line. However, the Wild’s biggest problem was special teams. The team is 11th on the power play and 27th on penalties. Sheerwood has been solid in the game this year with a ten point lead. That would tie him for third in powerplay points on the Wild.

Meanwhile, the Wild are 27th in penalties. Sherwood has shown in his career that he is great when he takes a man down. He would be a huge improvement for the unit and could make a huge impact against some conference foes that are great on the man advantage. Sherwood would be a perfect fit for the team and at a solid price. While it would be a rental, the Wild have already shown they are willing to go all-in for a run, and this would be another piece.

What will be the perfect deal for Sherwood?

The Wild already gave up their 2026 first-round pick to the Canucks to acquire Quinn Hughes. They are also without their second-round pick due to the Gustav Nyqvist trade from 2025. Meanwhile, the team also does not have a second-round pick in 2027. It’s unlikely the Wild will want to give up another first-round pick, especially for a currently injured rental player. While Sherwood is expected soon, the Wild will want to make a package that doesn’t include a first-round pick.

Further, the Wild will likely need the Canucks to retain some of Sherwood’s salary, even though he’s only making $1.5 million this season. This will make the need for a quality package even greater. Other teams will likely offer a first-round pick, so Minnesota’s front office will have to get creative. Adding in the fact that the Avalanche are already great and the Golden Knights just added to their roster, keeping up in the Western Conference means making moves.

The Canucks are obviously rebuilding, so draft picks are going to be important, and draft picks that happen quickly become more important. Minnesota could enter the 2026 NHL draft without a first- or second-round pick, but also make a run right away. The Wild could start with this year’s third- and fourth-round picks and also send their 2028 second-round pick.

Regardless, only three picks do not have the value of a first-round pickmeaning the Wild will also need to add a solid prospect. One option could be Charlie Strammel. He was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and currently plays at Michigan State. The Minnesota native is a solid defensive forward who can be an excellent playmaker. He has a similar profile to Sherwood, but will need to develop his goalscoring ability. Still, his value would push the Wild over the top here.

Another option is Ryder Ritchie from Boston University. He was a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Ritchie is younger than Strammel and is not at the same level as a defenseman. However, he is already a more refined goalscoring threat and a much better goalscorer. Offensively, his upside is greater, especially on the power play, but he still needs to develop defensively.

Regardless, the Wild can make the perfect trade offer without giving up a first-round pick. A combination of a 2026 third- and fourth-round pick, with a 2028 second-round pick, plus Ritchie or Strammel would be enough to send Sherwood to Minnesota.