Canucks Coffee: News, views, notes, quotes on latest club developments

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It takes one to know one.

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Former Vancouver Canucks agitator Derek Dorsett gained notoriety for an unwavering willingness to drag his club into the fight and it reached legendary status amid faithful fans. He played hard. He played hurt. He never quit.

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It’s why his curiosity about another testosterone-charged franchise winger in the undrafted Kiefer Sherwood was more than just a passing thought. And Sherwood also knew of the tough path that Dorsett had to travel to become more than just a spare part.

“Dorsett had to scrap and claw for everything he got out of the game,” Sherwood once told this reporter. “I always respected him from afar, and as I got my pro career going, I try to model my game after that feistiness and pit-bull mentality.

“I try to find the triggers and what makes people a little self-conscious. Get them off their games and get them talking about me and less about our other guys and free them up. And on the PK, I use my speed and stick to disrupt and I use it as an energy shift.”

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That resonated with Dorsett, who saw some of himself in the versatile Sherwood.

“Kiefer has done a tremendous job of finding that niche role,” Dorsett said. “He has figured out what it takes to stick and be an effective player. You can make a good living being physical and finishing checks. He has a long runway ahead of him.”

Sherwood had his list of boxes to check when acquired in a trade. He was a pain to play against with the Nashville Predators during the 2024 playoffs. Sherwood then played better than advertised here and has now separated himself from being a one-dimensional forechecker to get under the skin.

He’s no longer Dorsett. And he’s not former franchise agitators Antoine Roussel or Jarkko Ruutu. He’s better.

Sherwood has become a complete player and was leading the Canucks in goals (17), hits (210) and energy before being injured. He was rehabbing the ailment Monday morning and pulled off the ice to get the trade news. He could be back playing next week.

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That resonated with several suitors who were in hot trade pursuit before the San Jose Sharks landed the pending unrestricted free agent. The Canucks got second round NHL Draft picks in 2026 and 2027 and right-shot defenceman Cole Clayton, 25.

Sherwood now gets a chance to either cash in with a long-term contract from the Sharks or hit a home run in free agency. The Canucks talked contract extension in the summer, but it didn’t get anywhere because term was going to be a problem. A new opportunity for Sherwood won’t be.

“Their (Sharks) rebuild is probably happening quicker than they thought and they have special players in their system,” acknowledged Sherwood. “Pretty exciting, but I’m just trying to stay in the present and process everything.”

Sherwood had a string of four one-year deals at the league minimum elsewhere and that was the impetus to hit a career-high 19 goals here last season, and also pile up an NHL record 464 hits. It would lay the foundation for this campaign. He got stronger and faster in the off-season, his shot carried more velocity and accuracy and trips to the penalty box became less frequent.

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It was infectious.

“He builds culture,” said Canucks head coach Adam Foote. “He had to play with high energy and emotion to make it and did a great job this year learning to control it. Guys like that, you don’t want them to control it completely, because that’s why makes them special.

“Live with a bad penalty here and there if it comes from emotion, because that’s okay.”

Call it preparation meeting opportunity. Without doing the work, and earning the trust, Sherwood would not have not got the shot to move up the lineup.

“I’m thankful for everything this city and organization has given me,” stressed Sherwood. “I know they say you earn it, but you’ve got to have the opportunity. As a guy who’s a late bloomer, it was everything I could have hoped for and more. I’m leaving with my head held high.

“i just put my work boots on. I hope it opens the pathway for other late bloomers one day. A lot of good players in the AHL and they just need some time to figure it out. That’s why I was so grateful coming here. Be myself. To have fans chant my name is crazy and sometimes I still process and look back on.”

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“A special place to play and that’s the hard part of the business. You get attached. They do things the right way here and really live and breathe hockey.”

And now the question beckons. Is there a budding Sherwood 2.0 on the roster, or in the system?

Eventually, it could be 21-year-old winger Liam Ohgren. He’s big, skates fast, hits hard, has a net presence and a good release.

“You can see he’s a horse,” said Foote. “He’s so young and has got the speed, and the power is going to come. It’s going to be interesting to see where he’s at in a few years with speed and strength already.”

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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