San Jose Sharks
Preview/Lines #59: Sherwood Wants To Stay With Sharks
Kiefer Sherwood would like to stay.
But the pending UFA is aware of rumors that the San Jose Sharks could flip him, if he doesn’t re-sign with San Jose before the Mar. 6 Trade Deadline
“I’m just focused on bringing it tonight,” Sherwood said. “I love it here so far. Obviously, I would love to be here. But trying to stay in the present as best I can.”
GM Mike Grier paid a heavy price for Sherwood on Jan. 19, sending two second-round picks to the Vancouver Canucks for the gritty scoring winger. Sherwood, however, had an upper-body injury at the time of the trade, and didn’t make his debut in teal until Feb. 4, right before the Olympic break.
Consequently, Sherwood has played just four games with the San Jose Sharks, with no points. He does have 14 shots and 23 hits, which leads San Jose in this time span, so he is playing his high-energy style.
No question, the Sharks still believe in the player.
In game, the scoring is coming, and Sherwood brings other on-the-ice elements.
“He gives you everything he has every single shift. He gets in there, he puts his nose over a puck, he tries to win pucks. He’s physical. He plays the net front, he defends. He’ll block a shot. He’ll do whatever it takes to win,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Those are the guys that are ultra-competitive, that drag people in the fight, because people see it. It’s right to the human eye, you can see how competitive they are.”
Warsofsky likened Sherwood to Macklin Celebrini, in that respect.
Outside the game, Sherwood is also an example worth following.
“In practice, he’s the first guy in line. He’s ready to go. He puts the extra effort, it’s not just on the ice, it’s off the ice,” Warsofsky said. “It’s in meetings. He’s paying attention. He’s picking up things quickly. So he’s got a natural ability to do those things.”
And Sherwood believes in the future of the franchise.
“The future is very bright here,” he said, “and I would like nothing more than to be part of it, build with the guys here, and continue to add to the identity of the group.”
But question is, can Sherwood and San Jose come to a contract agreement that makes sense for both sides? Early reports from insider Chris Johnston have suggested that Sherwood is aiming for about $30 million overall on his new contract.
“I try to just focus on what I can control,” Sherwood said. “Obviously, there’s always going to be noise. Pressure is a privilege or whatnot. I think it’s important too, as a player, just to have blinders on and try to tune out that stuff and just focus on playing.”
San Jose Sharks (29-25-4)
Yaroslav Askarov will start. Adam Gaudette will draw back in.
Graf-Celebrini-Smith
Kurashev-Wennberg-Sherwood
Eklund-Misa-Toffoli
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Gaudette
Orlov-Klingberg
Ferraro-Mukhamadullin
Dickinson-Desharnais
Askarov
Here’s how the power play groups looked:
PP1: Orlov-Celebrini-Smith-Toffoli-Wennberg
PP2: Klingberg-Kurashev-Eklund-Sherwood-Misa
Montreal Canadiens (33-17-9)
Jakub Dobes will start.
Per NHL.com, here’s how the Canadiens should line up:
Caufield-Suzuki-Dach
Slafkovsky-Kapanen-Demidov
Newhook-Evans-Bolduc
Anderson-Danault-Gallagher
Hutson-Dobson
Matheson-Guhle
Struble-Carrier
Dobes
Also, Lane Hutson talked about BU teammate Celebrini with SJHN today!
Where To Watch
Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens is at 7 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.
Actions speak louder than words and so far it appears Sherwood’s priority (or at least his agent’s priority) is getting the most money he can not playing in a particular place. Not at all bashing a guy for trying to get paid especially a very soon to be 31 year old who has made just a bit over $5M in his pro career.
Yeah, those quotes are just standard media response in this situation. The “as long as I get paid” cannot be spoken aloud.
I’d still be fine with 5×5 or 4×6.
I think that’s a bit rich for a “culture guy” even in the era of rising cap. Particularly when 2 or 3 years into that contract there might be players inside the system who could play the position Sherwood is supposed to occupy.
There was an attempt to bury this elsewhere, but the “Sherwood plays on the top line until he signs his extension” bit of clownishness is definitively wrong now.
My cup, it runneth over.
I was always hoping that wasn’t true, but from an outside looking in perspective, it appeared it could be…
Honestly it speaks highly of Warso that he’s moving him and trying to put people in the best spots for them
If he was healthy it was likely a different outcome. Coach clearly called out the superior analytics with Sherwood on Celly’s wing. Probably done to spark the 2nd line too.
So dumb. There was no attempt to bury it you infant. I’m literally the one who called it out. Take your lap small boy but don’t lie about the circumstances. You being right is like a unicorn sighting. More like your bed pan runneth over….
Hope Kiefer plays great tonight and feels good doing it but most importantly, hope we can get 2 points here!!??
I have a feeling there are going to be 3-4 different Sharks getting multi-point games tonight!
Go with that feeling!
“Could” be a lot too it!?
Feeling GrillMack, Misa, Gaudette and perhaps Kiefer breaking through 🔮
I still think Sherwood sticks. GMMG stated that everyone not named Celebrini could be acquired for the right price. He is willing to listen, but that does not mean he is moving Sherwood. I imagine if a team said they wanted Sherwood as part of a package to get that top pair defenseman or very good second pair RD GMMG would think long and hard, but other than that I think he is here to stay. GMMG tried to acquire him before the season. He was a “targeted” acquisition and in GMMG’s opinion brings an element to the team it… Read more »
Technically, Joe Thornton changed the franchise in his first game as a Shark, but let’s not be so hard on Sherwood. I just wish we had more time on this.
If they don’t trade him, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on the team to sign him. If they do, couldbe somewhat deflating for the team. But Grier knows all this and will factor it all in and hopefully it all works out
As to the contract. Does anyone think GMMG and staff did not first talk to Sherwood and his agent to gauge expectations? Of course they did. I think that they didn’t talk to him before the trade because that’s what everyone agrees happened. You can’t go talk to a player and his agent before trading for them without the permission of his current team. You can get that permission but the Sharks didn’t do that. It was plainly reported and spoken by Grier that they had discussions after the trade. Lebrun reported that he had a sense that conversation, after… Read more »
Even if that is the case, the first ask is always above what the team is willing to pay and the first return offer is typically below what the player will accept. Then the dance begins. There is no word from since that initial report but is to be expected as GMMG stated he will not conduct negotiations in the press. To think there has been no conversations since then makes little sense. I expect there has. Typically negotiations will find a middle ground, leaning slightly one way or the other. And when reviewing the last two major contracts GMMG… Read more »
Thank you for your reasonable, & reasoned, analysis w/r/t Sherwood and the team.
GMMG has demonstrated so far he’s nothing if not deliberate and cautious. I’m still bullish on him.
you’re the king of the straw man argument. Who commented here “I’m sure the deal is about to be signed”?.
Be interesting to see if Warso will reward Mukh or Dickinson with time on PP2 if they take care of business in the D zone.
visionary
I think with Sherwood, you have to take the risk here and let him play out the final 24 games. He hasn’t played enough in teal to gauge whether or not he’s a good fit, but he’s exactly the type of player the Sharks need. If he looks good with the team down the stretch, great — you can feel better about meeting him in the middle vis a vis his salary demands. But right now, if the choice is sign him for 5-6 years or trade him, I’d prefer to choose neither.
5×5 sounds worse now then it will be in a few years. Sharks have enough cash to sign everyone now, later, whenever. We can afford it. We can buy him out. There are ways of dealing with it later. I just think the worst thing is letting go of 2 2nds for nothing.
At this point, I’m not sure what to make of Regenda sitting.
The Sharks PP hasn’t been great and Regenda is (by far) most goals per 60 minutes on the PP — in the entire league!!
His play has been good enough and he gives the team some physical and size that’s a bit lacking in this group.
Team does have an abundance of NHL-worthy forwards and Warsofsky has to have Goodrow in there, every game. So there’s one spot less for Pavol.
The way that first PP unit has struggled this year, it’s definitely hard to understand why Regenda hasn’t gotten a look as net front guy. PP is where I’d like to see Smith and Macklin separated. Build a first unit purely of players that complement Macklin. Let Will run the second unit with his creativity.
I would agree to that if we can first establish at least one effective PP unit with WillMack first for demonstrative PP competence then divide and conquer but perhaps the only way to conquer on the PP is to divide!?
My gut feeling is to get WillMack on PP1 and adjust personnel around them accordingly 🤷🏻♂️
Yes. Replace Toffoli with Misa. I wonder how much better he could be if he wasn’t playing with gramps and the waterbug?
It’s because Alex Wennberg stands in the right place more often than anyone. Warsovsky thinks that gets points in the standings.