will smith hockey is suddenly part of a trade conversation as Kiefer Sherwood’s brief stay in San Jose has opened the door to a deadline move. Kiefer Sherwood, recently acquired by the San Jose Sharks from the Vancouver Canucks, is drawing interest from the Colorado Avalanche as both clubs weigh cap space, roster fit and playoff readiness ahead of the NHL trade deadline. The Sharks are said to be open to moving Sherwood after struggling to reach an extension and with questions about contract cost and term.
Will Smith Hockey: Line fit and short sample
Sherwood joined the Sharks in a trade that sent AHL defenseman Cole Clayton and two second-round draft picks (2026 and 2027) to Vancouver. In San Jose he has been deployed high in the lineup, skating on the top line alongside Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, though he has not yet registered a goal or assist in his early sample with the club. Earlier this season Sherwood posted 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in 78 games and finished the 2024–25 campaign with a physical profile that included 462 hits — production that combines scoring and board play valued in playoff matchups.
Trade mechanics and cap realities
Colorado has explored its Western Conference options and is weighing whether Sherwood would address depth scoring and physicality for a Cup push. The Avalanche currently have roughly $2. 3 million in cap space while Sherwood’s present contract carries a modest $1. 5 million cap hit, making a short-term acquisition financially feasible on paper. PuckPedia notes Colorado also holds two 2027 second-round picks; any deal would require balancing draft capital and possibly a defensive prospect against immediate impact.
San Jose’s willingness to move Sherwood is tied to contract uncertainty. The Sharks have been unable to lock Sherwood to an extension and face the prospect of losing him for nothing if they keep him through the summer. Curtis Pashelka said, “Sherwood’s next contract is expected to carry an AAV of at least $5 million. ” AFP Analytics projects Sherwood’s next contract would be roughly $5. 7 million annually on a multiyear term, numbers that complicate San Jose’s long-term cost calculations and explain the club’s openness to trading him ahead of the deadline.
Immediate reactions and what’s next
Chris Johnston said the Sharks “are now open” to trading Sherwood, a development that compresses the timeline as teams finalize plans before the deadline. The move that sent Sherwood to San Jose involved two second-round picks and Clayton, and any return today will be measured against that price and the Sharks’ view of Sherwood’s market value.
Decision-making ultimately rests with Colorado general manager Chris McFarland, who must weigh short-term gain against longer-term asset depletion. With Artturi Lehkonen carrying an upper-body injury for Colorado, the urgency to add a physical, scoring depth forward could increase; the severity and timeline of that injury remain unclear.
Next steps: expect contact between San Jose and contending Western Conference clubs in the coming days as the trade deadline approaches. Teams will balance Sherwood’s immediate playoff upside, his modest cap hit for the remainder of the season, and the draft or prospect compensation San Jose seeks. The market will sharpen as offers surface and the deadline draws near — and will smith hockey remains one of the threads tying lineup deployment to trade chatter heading into the final hours.
