San Jose Sharks make veteran winger one of team’s highest paid forwards
SAN JOSE – Kiefer Sherwood will be staying with the San Jose Sharks for their playoff push this season — and for the long term.
The Sharks on Wednesday signed Sherwood, a pending unrestricted free agent, to a five-year, $28.75 million contract extension that runs through the 2030-31 season, when the forward will be 36.
The deal makes Sherwood one of the Sharks’ highest-paid forwards, as its average annual value of $5.75 million is just under the contracts of Tyler Toffoli and Alex Wennberg, whose cap hits for next season are $6 million each.
Sherwood’s deal, per PuckPedia, carries a $4.5 million salary and a $2.5 million signing bonus each of the first two years. The salary for the final three years is $4.15 million, $2.4 million, and $4.2 million, respectively. There is also a $2 million signing bonus owed in years three and four. Sherwood also has a full no-trade clause for next season, and modified no-trade clauses for the final four years.
This season, Sherwood has 18 goals, 25 points, and an average of 17:32 in ice time in 49 games. He’s also second in the NHL with 238 hits.
“We are very excited to have Kiefer remain in San Jose and be part of the group that we are building,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “The ingredients he brings to our line-up on a nightly basis blend extremely well with the skillsets of his teammates, and we look forward to his contributions in the years to come.”
In five games with the Sharks this season, Sherwood has a goal and an assist — both coming Tuesday in San Jose’s 7-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens at SAP Center — 28 hits and 18 shots on goal.
Tuesday’s game was Sherwood’s best game in a teal uniform. He caused a Canadiens turnover to help set up Wennberg for a second-period goal, and his goal late in the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Sharks earned their third straight win.
The #SJSharks signed 30 y/o F Kiefer Sherwood to a 5 year $5.75M extension
Yr 1 & 2: $4.5M Salary, $2.5M Signing Bonus
Yr 3: $4.15M, $2M
Yr 4: $2.4M, $2M
Yr 5: $4.2MYr 1: NTC, Yr 2: 16 NTC, Yr 3: 13 NTC, Yr 4: 10 NTC, Yr 5: 5 NTC
Rep'd by Judd Moldaver @wassermanhockey…
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) March 4, 2026
The Sharks (30-25-4) acquired Sherwood, who turns 31 later this month, from the Vancouver Canucks in January with the hope of keeping him past this season. It was just a matter of whether the two sides could reach an agreement on an extension, one that would give signifcantly increase Sherwood’s cap hit, as he is in the final year of a two-year, $3 million deal that carries an AAV of $1.5 million.
Shortly after the Sharks acquired Sherwood, though, there were reports that the two sides were far apart in early contract extension talks, as the winger sought a deal that would pay him around $30 million.
That’s close to what Sherwood got, as he received life-changing money after he spent most of his first six seasons as a professional splitting time between the NHL and AHL with three different organizations in Anaheim, Colorado, and Nashville.
“Hopefully things will take care of itself sooner than later,” Sherwood told Bay Area News Group on Tuesday. “My focus has just been on playing, and I trust (agent Judd Moldaver). He’s going to take care of everything like that. I’ve got a lot of faith in him for whatever happens.
“I’m just focused on playing.”
Sherwood is also focused on helping the Sharks make the playoffs. Tuesday’s win, their third straight, kept the Sharks, who have 64 points, within three points of a playoff spot with 24 games to go. San Jose has games in hand on every team ahead of it in the Western Conference standings, including the Edmonton Oilers, who have 68 points in 62 games.
The Sharks are 3-1-0 on their six-game homestand that concludes with games against the St. Louis Blues on Friday and the New York Islanders on Saturday.
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