Kiefer Sherwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Monday, which also means the defending Calder Cup champion Abbotsford Canucks will get some extra help.
San Jose acquired the veteran forward, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick for guard Cole Clayton. Clayton, 25, has been assigned to Abbotsford. In a busy day for the Sharks, they also assigned veteran defenseman Nick Leddy to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracudas, after claiming waivers.
Clayton has played in 257 AHL games with the Cleveland Monsters and Barracuda. After signing with the Sharks as a free agent, he spent the season with the Barracuda and went 2-3-5 in 33 games. In 2024, he reached the Eastern Conference Finals with Cleveland.
Hit hard by offseason departures and a promotion to Vancouver, a 3-12-0-2 start left Abbotsford in trouble at the end of November. Abbotsford's blue line took a particular hit last summer with the departures of Christian Wolanin, Akira Hirose and Cole McWard, among others. Jett Woo missed the first two months of the season after undergoing offseason surgery, while Guillaume Brisebois is also out for the entire season.
Vancouver lost 6-0 at home to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night and is currently at the bottom of the NHL standings. Abbotsford defenseman Victor Mancini returned from Vancouver on Monday, but Elias Pettersson was removed from the AHL blue line and promoted to the NHL club. In net, Nikita Tolopilo returns to Abbotsford while Jiřà Patera heads to Vancouver.
Leddy, 34, last played in an AHL game for the Rockford IceHogs in the 2012-13 season. He has played 1,061 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Sharks. He has four assists in 19 games this season for the Sharks, who waived him from St. Louis last July.
Abbotsford remains at the bottom of the Pacific Division with a record of 12 wins, 21 draws, 3 draws and 3 losses, 10 points out of a playoff spot and coming off two road losses at San Diego and Coachella Valley. The team returns home on Tuesday night when the North Division-leading Laval Rocket come to Rogers Forum.
The Barracudas are fifth in the Pacific Division with a 21-12-1-2 record and will return to action Wednesday night at Coachella Valley.
How to watch AHL
AHL broadcast live worldwide on FloHockey. Watch every game from the regular season to the Calder Cup playoffs, plus key events like the AHL All-Star Classic and AHL Outdoor Classic. Subscribe to FloHockey now so you never miss a moment. All games can be watched on FloHockey.tv or through the FloSports mobile and connected TV app.
NHL FloHockey Prospect Report
The best, most complete coverage of NHL minor league hockey and the NHL Draft can be found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.
Hockey matches get more intense on Flo
every game. Every goal. Every hit. All season long. FloHockey lets you watch the best hockey games anytime, anywhere, including leagues like the AHL, ECHL, OHL and QMJHL. Follow your team, follow your top prospects and stay on top of everything going on. Subscribe now to the annual plan and get 7 months free.
Watch AHL, ECHL, QMJHL, OHL and more on FloHockey
FloHockey is the streaming home for some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule for more hockey games.
Join the hockey conversation on FloHockey Social
