The Sharks’ surprise success earned them an acquisition like Kiefer Sherwood
The San Jose Sharks went out and made a notable swing by acquiring forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. However, the deal wouldn’t have been made had one team not been very impressive in the first half of the season.
The Sharks had expectations to be better than they have in recent years, with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith ready to make great strides to help build for the future. What few could’ve predicted was how this team has utilized its mix of veterans and a young core to not only stay competitive into January, but also be considered a playoff contender.
San Jose’s efforts so far have led general manager Mike Grier to determine that it was time to strike while the iron was hot and go out and get a player who could bolster the team’s chances to be a threat in the postseason.
On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton discuss how San Jose’s performance thus far made them a buyer.
Carter Hutton: I think it’s good. I think it’s maybe a piece that if they can sign him, maybe there’s some interest there that’s going on where you can keep him. He adds a little bit of depth. He adds a little grit, a little bit of punch. I think it’s just a little bit of support for these younger guys who have played themselves into this situation. I think that is the main story here is their GM believes in what they’ve been doing. I think that is a shot in the arm for a lot of these younger players to just be able to accomplish what they’re trying to get to.
I don’t think the bar is set very high in San Jose. I think they’ve probably accomplished more than was expected from the start of the year, but that being said, adding a piece like this they move into a spot where right now. They’re third in the Pacific Division, and that’s great to see, and maybe they can hang there, and they can make some noise and without really killing their team with a couple of second-round picks and a prospect moving out. … So, I actually like the trade.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…