NHL Trade Deadline Heats Up: Sherwood Heads to Sharks, Solovyov to Penguins, and MacKinnon Hits Major Milestone
The NHL trade market just got a little less crowded - and a lot more interesting.
In a move that caught more than a few people off guard, the San Jose Sharks made a bold play ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. Heading the other way: two second-round picks (2026 and 2027) and defensive prospect Cole Clayton.
Sherwood’s been quietly building a strong season in Vancouver, notching 17 goals and 23 points through 44 games. That’s already closing in on his career-best 19 goals and 40 points from last year - and there’s still plenty of runway left in the regular season.
But it’s not just the scoring that makes Sherwood valuable. He led the league in hits last season with a staggering 462, showing he’s not afraid to throw his weight around.
For a Sharks team looking to inject some grit and scoring punch into their lineup, Sherwood checks a lot of boxes.
And here’s the twist: the Sharks aren’t sellers this year. With a 25-21-3 record and 53 points, they’re holding onto the final wild card spot in the West.
Not only are they in the playoff mix - they’ve already surpassed last season’s point total. In other words, San Jose is going for it.
Sherwood gives them a physical, productive forward who can help them make a real push down the stretch.
As for the return, Cole Clayton is an intriguing piece. The 25-year-old defenseman went undrafted but has carved out a steady role in the AHL over the past five seasons.
Most of that time was spent with the Cleveland Monsters, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ affiliate, where he posted a career-high 20 points in 59 games during the 2023-24 season and served as an alternate captain. This year with the San Jose Barracuda, he’s managed two goals and five points in 33 games, with a -5 rating.
He’s not a blue-chip prospect, but he brings leadership and experience - something Vancouver could use in their pipeline.
Solovyov Heads East, Penguins Add Depth on the Blue Line
Elsewhere, the Pittsburgh Penguins added some depth to their defense corps, acquiring Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
Solovyov, a seventh-round pick back in 2020, had a brief stint with the Calgary Flames before being claimed off waivers by Colorado earlier this season. In 16 games with the Avs, he’s posted one goal and three points with a -1 rating.
The Belarusian blueliner is still finding his footing in the NHL, but he showed some offensive upside in the AHL last year with six goals and 28 points in 59 games. Pittsburgh, currently outside the top tier of contenders, can afford to give him a longer look and see if there’s more to unlock.
On the flip side, Puustinen heads to Colorado. Like Solovyov, he was a seventh-rounder - taken in 2019 - and made a name for himself with strong seasons in Finland before transitioning to North America.
He made his NHL debut in 2021-22 but has mostly bounced between the big club and the AHL. Last year, he played 52 games with the Penguins, tallying five goals and 20 points, but he hasn’t cracked the NHL lineup this season.
Still, the Avalanche are known for finding value in under-the-radar players, and Puustinen could be another project that pays off.
MacKinnon Joins the 1,100-Point Club
While trades are shaking up rosters, one superstar is busy rewriting the record books.
Nathan MacKinnon hit a major milestone on Monday, becoming the 70th player in NHL history to reach 1,100 career points. He did it in style, hammering home a half-slapper from close range late in the third period. It was a fitting way for one of the league’s most dynamic players to cement his place among the greats.
MacKinnon’s journey to this point hasn’t always been smooth. The first overall pick in the 2013 draft, he had a relatively quiet start to his career, putting up 75 goals and 206 points over his first 300 games. But once he found his stride, he never looked back.
Starting with a 97-point campaign in 2017-18, MacKinnon has been one of the NHL’s most consistent offensive forces. He followed that up with 99 and 93-point seasons, then finally cracked the 100-point barrier in 2022-23 with 111 points in 71 games. He won the Hart Trophy in 2023-24 after a monster season - 51 goals, 140 points - and led the league with 84 assists in 2024-25.
This season? He’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Through 47 games, MacKinnon leads the league with 38 goals and 85 points. At just 30 years old, he’s not only still in his prime - he’s adding to a legacy that’s already Hall-of-Fame worthy.
The Avalanche have their eyes on another deep playoff run, and with MacKinnon leading the charge, they’ve got every reason to believe they can make it happen.
Bottom Line
San Jose is buying. Pittsburgh is reshuffling.
Colorado is hunting for hidden gems. And Nathan MacKinnon is doing what superstars do - making history.
As the trade deadline inches closer, the moves are starting to come in fast, and the playoff picture is beginning to take shape. If this week is any indication, we're in for a wild ride.