Sharks Struggling to Find Their Bite Without Sherwood’s Edge
CHICAGO - The San Jose Sharks are getting some key pieces back, but there’s one name that still looms large in his absence: Kiefer Sherwood.
Philipp Kurashev and Shakir Mukhamadullin returned to the lineup Saturday after extended stints on injured reserve, and head coach Ryan Warsofsky was quick to praise their performances. But with the Sharks in the thick of a playoff chase and struggling to find consistency, it’s Sherwood - still sidelined with an upper-body injury - whose return might be the most urgent.
“He’s getting closer, just not 100% there yet for today,” Warsofsky said before Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Flames. Sherwood remains day-to-day, and while Warsofsky didn’t rule out a return before the Olympic break - with games looming against Chicago and Colorado - there’s no firm timeline. The Sharks are hopeful, but that’s about as far as it goes.
Sherwood hasn’t suited up since being acquired from Vancouver on January 19. To activate him, San Jose would need to open up a roster spot - they’re currently at the 23-player max. But when you look at what he brings to the ice, it’s a move that feels more like a necessity than a luxury.
Let’s be clear: Sherwood’s game is tailor-made for the kind of hockey the Sharks are trying to play. His forechecking and physical presence aren’t just bonuses - they’re essential ingredients in a system that thrives on pressure and puck pursuit. And right now, San Jose’s forecheck has gone missing at the worst possible time.
Saturday’s loss to Calgary was another example of that. The Sharks managed just 17 shots through two periods and finished with 25 - the seventh time in their last nine games they’ve been held to 28 or fewer.
They’ve dropped five of those seven. Combine that with six penalties to kill and a sputtering offensive rhythm, and it’s easy to see why this one stung.
“That one hurts,” winger Will Smith said postgame. “We just need more shots. That’s going to create more offense.”
The Sharks have gone 4-4-1 since their January 10 win over Dallas - a stretch that’s kept them hovering just outside the playoff bubble. They sit sixth in the Pacific Division, one point out of a wild card spot and three back of third-place Seattle. The margin for error is razor-thin, and games like Saturday’s are tough pills to swallow.
Thursday’s collapse in Edmonton didn’t help either. San Jose played the kind of first two periods that showed what this team can be when it’s dialed in - aggressive, fast, relentless on the puck. But they let up in the third, gave up a three-goal lead, and lost in overtime.
“When we hunt pucks, when we get on pucks, that’s when we have success,” Warsofsky said. “There were times when we just came off the hunt.
I think we play in a little bit of fear sometimes of (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl). That’s what happens with a young team that’s trying to learn how to win those types of games.”
That’s exactly where Sherwood fits in. He doesn’t just hunt pucks - he lives for it.
Back in October 2024, shortly after joining the Canucks, he described his style with a simple philosophy: “Have a hunter mentality. Want the puck.
It’s about reading the opposition and outnumbering guys.”
And he doesn’t just talk the talk. Sherwood leads the NHL with over 900 hits in the last two-plus seasons.
He’s not out there throwing his body around for show - he’s trying to wear down defenses, create turnovers, and set the tone. As he put it, “The puck is the priority.
I’m trying to get to the puck first and disrupt the body with hits.”
Former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet was clear on why Vancouver brought him in: “He’s a really good forechecker. He’s that first guy in. He’ll take the body, and that’s a good thing for us.”
San Jose could use that edge right now - not just physically, but offensively too. Sherwood has scored 36 goals in his last 122 games. That kind of production, paired with his tenacity, gives Warsofsky another versatile weapon in high-leverage moments.
There are bright spots. The line of Michael Misa, Adam Gaudette, and William Eklund has been clicking, combining for eight even-strength points over the last three games.
They had three more on Saturday. But when Macklin Celebrini, the team’s leading scorer, gets held off the scoresheet - as he was again against Calgary - the Sharks often struggle.
Saturday marked the 13th time this season Celebrini didn’t record a point. San Jose has lost 12 of those games.
With the Olympic break approaching and 27 games left after it, the Sharks are still in the mix. Their first game back?
A rematch with Calgary on February 26. And yes, there’s chatter that Artemi Panarin might be in the picture for the stretch run - but that’s a conversation for another day.
Right now, the focus is on getting healthy and finding consistency. And Sherwood’s return could be a major step toward both.
“We just couldn’t get it going at all,” Warsofsky said after Saturday’s loss. “Second period we really struggled. We just couldn’t stop a puck up.”
That’s where Sherwood comes in - stopping pucks up, finishing checks, and setting the tone. The Sharks don’t just want him back. They need him.