Jett Woo trade marks a new inflection point for Vancouver and San Jose

jett woo is heading to the San Jose Sharks after the Vancouver Canucks completed a Thursday trade that sent the defenseman to San Jose in exchange for blueliner Jack Thompson. The deal closes one chapter in Vancouver’s organization and opens another for San Jose, with both clubs swapping right-shot defenders whose contracts expire at the end of the season.

What happens when Jett Woo changes organizations after years in Vancouver’s system?

The Vancouver Canucks moved Jett Woo to the San Jose Sharks in a one-for-one exchange for Jack Thompson, with Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin thanking Woo for his time in the organization and framing Thompson as an addition to organizational depth on the blueline, with an eye toward work in Abbotsford.

In Vancouver’s system, Woo never played an NHL game for the Canucks, but he logged a long run in the American Hockey League. Over his professional AHL career with the Utica Comets and Abbotsford, Woo recorded 91 points (22 goals, 69 assists) in 293 games. In the current season with the Abbotsford Canucks, he posted eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 26 games and ranked fifth among team defensemen in points, while also sitting second in penalty minutes with 78.

Woo’s résumé also includes a Calder Cup run with Abbotsford last season. He appeared in 22 postseason games, scoring six points (one goal, five assists) and finishing plus-8 as Abbotsford captured the title.

For San Jose, the acquisition was formally announced by Sharks general manager Mike Grier, who confirmed the trade as Woo for Thompson. The move brings in a 25-year-old defenseman originally selected by Vancouver in the 2018 NHL Draft (second round, 37th overall). Woo is listed at six-foot and 205 pounds, and is a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

What if Vancouver’s return in Jack Thompson reshapes the blue-line depth picture?

Vancouver’s return is Jack Thompson, a right-shot defenseman who is 23 years old—two years younger than Woo. Thompson was drafted 93rd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and has experience at both the AHL and NHL levels.

At the NHL level, Thompson has played 34 games to date, with 31 of those coming with the Sharks last season. Across those NHL appearances with the Lightning and Sharks, he has 10 points (four goals, six assists). In the AHL this year, Thompson appeared in 42 games for the San Jose Barracuda and recorded 12 points (three goals, nine assists). Over his professional AHL career, he has appeared in 203 games with 91 points (20 goals, 71 assists).

Thompson’s arrival also lands in a moment where Vancouver has been making roster moves on the blue line. The team recalled 26-year-old Cole Clayton on Thursday, following the trade of Tyler Myers and an injury to Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Against that backdrop, the Canucks’ own internal messaging emphasized depth, and the trade itself fits as a direct organizational swap of defensemen.

What happens when both sides face looming contract decisions at season’s end?

Both players are on deals that expire at the end of the season, which adds a clear near-term decision point for each organization. Woo is set to become an unrestricted free agent, while Thompson will be a restricted free agent.

There is also a minor-league financial component identified for this season: Woo’s AHL pay is listed at $290, 000, while Thompson’s AHL pay is listed at $115, 000. Vancouver’s side of the transaction therefore carries a cost-saving angle at the minor-league level, while also shifting the organization toward a younger defenseman.

San Jose’s side adds a defenseman who has produced in the AHL this season and has a track record of heavy usage, including significant penalty minutes and playoff experience during Abbotsford’s championship run. Vancouver’s side adds a defenseman with established AHL production, plus a measurable NHL sample that includes goal-scoring and point production.

As the organizations turn from the transaction to deployment, the immediate facts are clear: San Jose adds a defenseman with long AHL service time and recent championship playoff experience, while Vancouver adds a younger right-shot defenseman with AHL production and a documented NHL track record. The next steps—how each team uses its new defenseman—will be shaped by their internal depth plans and the contract timelines that arrive at season’s end.