It appears Kiefer Sherwood’s days as a Vancouver Canuck are numbered.

Reports from Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal on Friday indicate that the Canucks have realized their asking price of a first-round pick is likely not something teams are willing to pay for his services, and are pivoting off that, while still hoping to net first-round value in return.

In his reporting, Dhaliwal mentioned the San Jose Sharks as a team to watch for Sherwood’s services.

The Sharks have been going through a lengthy rebuild, not seeing playoff action over the past six seasons. Along the way, they’ve managed to trade players and recoup draft capital and prospects, leading them to a bright future led by Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, Sam Dickinson and Yaroslav Askarov. All five of those players are young, contributing to the NHL club now, and are a massive reason they are holding the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

As they look to turn their rebuilding window into a contending one, the Sharks will likely reward their players by adding a piece now, as the Canucks did in 2023-24 when they added Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm. And the Canucks have the opportunity to be that team, and kickstart their rebuild by acquiring a draft pick and a young asset from the Sharks, who have plenty to give.

So, who on the Sharks should the Canucks target if they were to deal Kiefer Sherwood to the Sharks? Here are four forwards and three defencemen in the Sharks’ prospect pool the Canucks could acquire:

Bystedt, 21, is a 6’3″, 210-lb Swedish centreman, drafted by the Sharks in the first round (27th overall) of the 2022 NHL draft. After spending his draft plus-one and two seasons in the SHL, Bystedt came overseas for a quick eight-game stint with the Barracuda in 2023-24, where he scored four goals and seven points. He followed that up with a 12-goal, 31-point first full season at the AHL level.

This season has been Bystedt’s coming-out party, as he’s centring the Barracuda’s top line with Quentin Musty and Cam Lund – who we will get to later – and has tallied 10 goals and 28 points through 33 games this season. Dhaliwal named Bystedt on Friday as somebody the Canucks might be targeting:

“There is a centreman in their system, Filip Bystedt, who the Canucks really liked in his draft year in 2022.”

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis broke down every team’s top-10 prospects heading into the 2025-26 season. Ellis ranked Bystedt as the Sharks’ ninth-best prospect and provided us with his thoughts on the Sharks prospect:

“Bystedt made the move to California last year, and he put up a decent 12 goals and 31 points in 50 games. The Swedish center has a ton of muscle and he loves to put all of it behind his shot. He’s a good skater, plays a reliable two-way game and is equally good as a shooter and a passer. I can see him becoming more of a bottom-six forward for the Sharks, but you could also put him in a shooting location on the power play and feel confident in him. Next up, 40-plus points in the AHL for the 21-year-old.”

Musty, 20, is a 6’2″, 205-lb American left winger, drafted by the Sharks in the first round (26th overall) of the 2023 NHL draft. He tore up the OHL in his draft plus-one season with the Sudbury Wolves, scoring 43 goals and 102 points in 53 games. Musty split the 2024-25 season between the OHL and AHL and is now playing top-line minutes for the Barracuda, tallying eight goals and 24 points with 30 penalty minutes through 32 games of his rookie season in the AHL.

Ellis ranked Musty as the Sharks’ fifth-best prospect. Here’s Ellis’ thoughts on Musty:

“Musty had an eventful season, which started with a trade request out of Sudbury that was never granted. He still managed to put up wicked numbers, including 30 goals and 59 points. An injury prevented Musty from playing with the USA at the World Juniors, although reports indicated he wasn’t getting invited, anyway. So, yeah, not a typical year for a top prospect. But Musty made the most of the opportunities and then proceeded to close out the year with the Barracuda. I expect him to take a run at making the Sharks out of camp this year, but it feels like more time in the AHL is exactly what he needs after missing half of 2024-25.”

Lund, 21, is a 6’2″, 195-lb American centre, drafted by the Sharks in the second round (34th overall) of the 2022 NHL draft. Following his draft, Lund spent the following two and a half seasons with Northeastern University of the NCAA before debuting in the NHL at the tail end of the 2024-25 season. With the Sharks, Lund scored two goals and one assist for three points through 11 games. This season in the AHL, Lund has shifted to the right wing with Bystedt and Musty, where he has five goals and 14 assists for 19 points through 28 games.

Ellis did not rank Lund among the Sharks’ top 10 prospects. Here is what EliteProspects had to say about Lund in his draft year:

“Already armed with an NHL shot, Lund’s a threat from distance in the USHL, but instead of settling for low-percentage shots, he’s always looking for inside-lane opportunities. Without the puck, he flips same-side support readied for quick passes and sneaky far-post positioning for one-timers. With it, he baits defenders into chasing him wide, then cuts inside and shoots in one smooth motion.”

Halttunen, 20, is a 6’3″, 205-lb Finnish right-winger, drafted by the Sharks in the second round (36th overall) of the 2023 NHL draft. The right-shot power forward spent his draft-plus-one and draft-plus-two seasons in the OHL with the London Knights, where he finished over a point per game, with 53 goals in 95 games. He proved to be a playoff performer in the OHL, scoring 17 goals in 18 games during the 2023-24 run, and 15 goals in 17 games of the 2024-25 playoffs. Ready to challenge himself at the professional level, Halttunen joined the Barracuda, where he has been playing bottom-six minutes, but has scored seven goals and 14 points through 33 games this season.

Ellis did not rank Halttunen among the Sharks’ top 10 prospects. Here is what EliteProspects had to say about Haltunnen in his draft year:

“Kasper Halttunen possesses a heavy shot, also has the handling skills, the reach and moments where he plays a physical, power forward game, where he drops his shoulder and runs through defenders’ hands to try and get to the game. He’s got a one-timer from the left half wall that power plays can be built around.”

Sahlin-Wallenius, 19, is a 6′, 180-lb left-shot defenceman, drafted by the Sharks in the second round (54th overall) of the 2024 NHL draft. Many will remember Sahlin-Wallenius for his efforts at the 2026 World Junior Championship with Team Sweden, where he quarterbacked the top power-play unit and finished the tournament with one goal and five assists for six points in seven games. Sahlin-Wallenius is currently playing for Vaxjo of the SHL, where he has two goals and seven points in 18 games.

Ellis did not rank Sahlin-Wallenius among the Sharks’ top 10 prospects. Here is what EliteProspects had to say about Sahlin-Wallenius in his draft year:

“Leo Sahlin Wallenius is a sound puck distributor and in-zone defender. His defensive skating allows him to match speed in space with ease, contain opponents, and get stops along the wall. Constant scanning allows him to disrupt potential scoring plays as they develop. With the puck, Sahlin Wallenius can easily avoid forechecking pressure and generate exits and entries at pace.”

Cagnoni, 21, is a 5’9″, 180-lb left-shot defenceman, drafted by the Sharks in the fourth round (123rd overall) of the 2023 NHL draft. The Burnaby, BC native is an offensive defenceman. In his draft plus-one season with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, Cagnoni scored 18 goals and 90 points in 65 games, including a point-per-game playoff run (13 games). The following season, Cagnoni joined the professional ranks with the Barracuda, where he continued his offensive success, scoring 16 goals and 52 points in 64 games. His efforts earned him a six-game stint with the Sharks, where he tallied two assists. Cagnoni has been serving as the team’s top offensive blueliner, scoring five goals and tallying 21 points through 33 games so far this season.

Ellis ranked Cagnoni as the Sharks’ sixth-best prospect. Here’s Ellis’ thoughts on Cagnoni:

“I’ve been a big believer in Cagnoni since he was drafted and I’m glad he had such a successful first year of pro hockey. The 20-year-old is still 5-foot-9, but it didn’t stop him from registering 16 goals and 52 points with the Barracuda. He was also impressive in his six-game run with the Sharks, registering a pair of assists while getting more comfortable at both ends of the ice. He plays a smart, calculated game that doesn’t try to force plays to generate something. Cagnoni is evasive with the puck, using his quick footwork to get himself out of trouble. He’s still small, but it hasn’t slowed him down yet.”

Wang, 18, is a 6’6″, 223-lb left-shot defenceman, drafted by the Sharks with the first pick of the second round (33rd overall) of the 2025 NHL draft. The Beijing, China native is viewed as a bit of a question mark, with a ton of raw tools and potential to develop, but he began his hockey career late. Wang started the season with the Oshawa Generals – where he scored two goals and 13 points through 28 games – but has since been traded to the Niagara IceDogs, where he has two points in his first two games.

Ellis ranked Wang as the Sharks’ 10th-best prospect. Here’s Ellis’ thoughts on Wang:

“Wang is underrated, in my opinion. The Boston University commit had some so-so showings in the OHL, but he got better as the season wore on in Oshawa. He only started to play at a high level competitively a few years ago, and he’s learning how to use his 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage. The Beijing, China native can skate well and has good offensive instincts. Moving forward, reading plays on the rush will be something he needs to work on, but the raw talent is there. The Sharks took a gamble selecting Wang when they did, but I think it’s going to work out.”

The Sharks are rich with picks in the first two rounds of the 2026 draft. They have their own and the Edmonton Oilers’ first-round picks. However, according to Dhaliwal’s reports yesterday, the Canucks appear willing to budge on their first-round pick ask and are comfortable with a second and a prospect. Luckily for the Canucks, the Sharks also have two second-round picks: their own and the Colorado Avalanche’s – acquired in the MacKenzie Blackwood trade.

If the Canucks are willing to move their ask down to a second-round pick, it will be crucial that they return the Sharks’. With the tear Colorado is on this season, that pick will be 60th overall at the earliest – basically a third-round pick – whereas San Jose’s would likely finish somewhere in the middle of the round, depending on if they make the playoffs or not.

A package involving Bystedt or Musty, along with the Sharks’ second-round pick, would be a decent return for the Canucks if they could not land a first – which, at this point, isn’t looking likely.

What do you think, Canucks fans? What’s your ideal trade package from the San Jose Sharks in a Kiefer Sherwood trade? Let us know in the comments below!