How will Kiefer Sherwood follow up a phenomenal debut season with the Canucks?

2025-2026 will be the final year of Kiefer Sherwood’s contract, which he signed with the Vancouver Canucks last offseason.

Coming off a career year at the age of 30, it’s difficult to suggest he will surpass the production and physicality he displayed last season. However, Canucks fans can expect him to play a prominent role on the roster right away.

Based on the current forward group, Sherwood’s spot on the right wing of the team’s third line seems to be fairly solidified. His ability to play with energy on the forecheck, as well as the scoring touch he showed last season, make him a perfect candidate to play in a depth scoring line role who can bring some energy to the team this upcoming season.

The majority of Sherwood’s ice time will be at 5-on-5. We may see him play on the team’s second power play unit as well as see some time on the penalty kill, but his biggest impact on the team will be at even strength – being a pain for the opposing team’s defencemen to play against.

Slotting him on a line with the likes of Nils Höglander and either Aatu Räty or Teddy Blueger will add a deadly forecheck to the lineup, which plays with a ton of speed and grit. 

Not only will the Columbus native have a significant impact on the ice, but his biggest impact may be seen throughout the rest of the lineup. He’s capable of making plays that get his teammates engaged in the game. As soon as Sherwood touches the ice, there’s always an added level of excitement that he’s going to go out there and make a hit that brings energy onto the bench.

This is why Sherwood won’t be judged solely this season based on his point totals, but also on the intangibles he brings to the team. Not to mention the hit totals we saw him reach last season, breaking the NHL’s single-season hit record and building off of that.

Exceeding expectations for Kiefer Sherwood

To exceed expectations, Sherwood will need to build off what he was able to do last season, starting with goals. If he can hit the 25-goal mark, this would be a significant step up and a new career high. Adding on another 25 assists for a 50-point season would be a great number to strive for to exceed expectations. All of that production on top of another 400-hit season – averaging almost five hits per game – would be above and beyond what you would expect from a typical third line forward. 

His place in the lineup at 5-on-5 would be as a middle-six winger, but being someone who can slot in the top six at any given time and perform well at that level is crucial to his success this season. As far as special teams go, if Sherwood can contribute now and then on the team’s second power play unit and add in some time on the penalty kill, he will be setting himself up for another career year.

Meeting expectations for Kiefer Sherwood

Meeting expectations for Sherwood should be having a similar year to last season. If he can be right around that 20-goal and 20-assist mark for 40 points and continue to contribute to the team’s third line at 5-on-5 this season, that would be a solid year from Sherwood. Meeting expectations hit-wise would have him still leading the team in hits, but not quite having the record-breaking year we saw in 2024-2025.

Overall, to meet expectations, Sherwood would need to finish around the 35-40 point mark while consistently playing on the third line and leading the way in hits. If he can do that, the team would be pleased with his performance.

Below expectations for Kiefer Sherwood

It’s a bit tough to imagine what a bad year for Kiefer Sherwood would look like, especially considering he’s only getting paid $1.5 million, which in today’s NHL is a typical fourth liner salary. That being said, in a contract year, players seem to have a bit more juice working to earn a bigger paycheque for the future.

Sherwood regressing to being just a fourth line player would be below expectations. If he were only able to play right around 10 minutes per night and barely reach 10 goals, that would be a bit of a disappointment. 

The biggest disappointment would be if Sherwood weren’t able to play as physical as he has in the past. While this would be a big shock for an underwhelming year, the energy he plays with would have to take a massive hit.