Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
It truly seems to be only a matter of time before rugged forward Kiefer Sherwood is traded.
That said, at what price?
We finally have some information on that front.
Here is what it would cost the Montreal Canadiens to acquire Kiefer Sherwood
According to what’s being said, the real debate isn’t “a second-round pick or nothing.”
It’s more about “who wants him with a contract extension” and “who is willing to take him as a rental.”
In both cases, Montreal has to keep a cool head, because a rumor market can explode within 24 hours.
If Sherwood is strictly a rental, Montreal should not go beyond a second-round pick, period.
If necessary, you add a fourth-round pick to get the deal done, but you keep the second-rounder as the main piece.
The Canadiens do not have to pay as if the player is staying long term. If Vancouver pushes for more, the right response is to make the offer smarter, not bigger.
A conditional pick can exist without hurting.
The second-round pick becomes a first-rounder only if the Canadiens win a playoff round, and only if Sherwood signs an extension.
Without an extension, the offer stays at the level of a second-round pick, or you drop down to a third-rounder.
“I had people say to me that they’ll only get a 2nd for him, I don’t see that, I think they can do better than that; the bigger thing to me is who wants him with an extension and who’s willing to rent him” – Elliotte Friedman
If Sherwood comes with an extension, then Montreal can step it up slightly. A second-round pick plus a second-tier prospect, such as Joshua Roy or Owen Beck, is worth discussing.
But you don’t touch your top prospects, and you don’t give up two high-end assets for a depth player.
In short, the opportunity exists, but so does the limit. If it turns into a bidding war, Hughes has to walk away and keep his picks.
Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics