An ex-Vancouver Canuck hopes this management group does not make the mistake of holding onto one of its most valuable trading assets and committing to brightening the organization’s future.

Former-Canuck Jannik Hansen appeared on Sportsnet 650’s Canucks Talk with Thomas Drance and Jamie Dodd on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the Kiefer Sherwood trade topic, and left a plea to Canucks management on how they need to capitalize on this opportunity while they have it:

“No. You have to trade him. He is the exact type of player, he should get you another first-round draft pick. You can find another Kiefer Sherwood. We were in the same situation with Dakota Joshua a couple years ago. ‘Oh no, we can’t lose this guy.’ They picked up a better version, a third liner, somebody who’s cast off and wants to go in a crash and bang and score some goals.

“They can find these players in free agency, give them an opportunity, and ship them off. His value is never going to be higher. You sign him to a four- or five-year deal, which he’s going to ask for probably close to $5 million – he’s going to score 25 [goals].

“Get him out of there. He’s a great player if you’re a playoff team, and if you’re making a run for it, keep him and all those things. But you’re not. That’s not where we’re headed. He’s one of those players that’s going to help you be halfway decent, but not the player that’s going to push you over. So, take the first round pick and run. Then find a new player in free agency; they’ve shown us they can do that.

“You have to be committed to this and not do it halfway to the point where, ‘Yeah, we traded Quinn [Hughes] because we had to and we got these young players back that might turn out down the line, we got an extra first round draft pick’; get some more of that and write off the next two-, three-years and then let’s come back when the stock piles are full and there’s lots of young guys to get excited about. …

“You have an opportunity here to sell while his value is at the highest. Do it for once, please.”

Sherwood, 30, is having a career season with 17 goals and 21 points through the first half of the season. He is in the final year of a two-year, $3 million contract he signed with the Canucks in July of 2024. The Columbus, Ohio, native has carved out an NHL role in Vancouver, and this is likely his one and only time for Sherwood to cash in on a big free agent ticket this offseason. And with Canucks management calling this a retool/rebuild, moving off veteran players who are having career seasons as your team looks to get younger is a smart business move toward that goal.

However, there have been recent reports that the Canucks have offered him a four- or five-year deal carrying a $4 million AAV – something that Hansen does not want the Canucks to do.