Thankfully, the trade noise surrounding the Boston Bruins and Kiefer Sherwood is starting to die down. It would've been preposterous for the Bruins to give up a first-round pick plus more assets for Sherwood, who, after a hot start, is still nothing more than a bottom-six winger.
Sherwood isn't going to command the Vancouver Canucks that kind of return anymore after scoring one goal in 12 games, which has some trade buzz picking up again, considering teams could be more willing to part with what the Canucks will want.
ESPN recently released an article outlining six hypothetical trades as the NHL nears the trade deadline, via Rachel Kryshak. The writer believes the Bruins still have interest in the Canucks' winger and thinks a second-round pick could be all the Canucks want.
"Vancouver was said to be seeking a first-round pick for Sherwood, given his cap hit and hot start to the season. However, he has scored one goal in the past 12 games, and is currently playing on the third line -- where he would likely play on a contender," Kryshak said. "Sherwood's physical play has earned him the "hard to play against" moniker, something that is valuable in the playoffs."
The Bruins would still be overpaying by giving a second-round pick. Not only is Sherwood too inconsistent to be the team's target to improve their playoff chances, but he doesn't fit the team's needs at all.
Despite declining value, Bruins and Kiefer Sherwood still aren't a match
Kryshak notes that the Bruins' growing culture of being hard to play against is the main reason to acquire Sherwood. While I love the shift towards a more physical style of play and think it'll serve them well in the future, the physical teams that win Stanley Cups don't have 12 grinders up front.
The Bruins are at their cap for gritty, two-way, checking-line forwards. At a certain point, it's counterproductive to keep filling out the forward group with Cam Neely's "piss and vinegar." It's the leading reason teams are linking Sherwood to them, but I firmly believe the front office will conclude they already have what they need in that area.
If the Bruins are going to do any buying at the trade deadline, they need to pick up a scoring winger. After scoring one goal in his last 13, Sherwood needs to be far away from their radar.