San Jose Sharks rookie, centre Will Smith has played in all four games for the Sharks this season and has yet to make any waves. Ideally, Smith is projected to be a contender for the highest point leader this coming Sharks season. No expected Will Smith to start the season off slowly.
Will Smith off to Slow Start
A Look at Smith’s College Career
Smith is the fourth overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft. He was on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, Hockey East First All-Star Team, the NCAA (east) First All-American Team, and the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team all in 2024. In addition, Smith put up 71 points. He had 25 goals and 46 assists through a span of 41 games.
Smith is predicted to be a contributor to the success the Sharks could face this season. His skill level and his stats prove how dedicated to the game he is and how much of an asset he can be.
Can Smith Turn the Corner Soon?
Smith has played on the same lines as Fabian Zetterlund, Barclay Goodrow, and Luke Kunin. All of these players have added points to their stat sheets. Smith has played each game this season has averaged 10 to 13 minutes per game and has scored zero goals or assists. Smith’s slow start to the season has been puzzling.
San Jose Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky briefly mentioned that Smith is fully aware and frustrated with his performance. Importantly, the last few months have been jammed for Smith. He is adapting to an on-the-go style schedule, which is one he is not used to. His performance on the ice during practice tells a different story than the one we are seeing during games. The Boston native has appeared to be more engaged and focused during their practices.
Taking longer to adjust to being a Shark.
Realistically, it leads one to wonder if Smith is struggling to adjust to the schedule of an NHL player. As we have not seen him at his full potential. Smith is adjusting to the lifestyle that NHL players endure during the season, something he is having to learn and grow from. NHL games are almost every other day in a different city and a different state, the travel is rough, and the turnaround time is almost nonexistent. The speed of the game is also way faster at the professional level.
However, Warsofsky seems to be not as worried about Smith’s performance
As a centre, Smith has not had a good start to holding down this position in face-offs. He has a winning percentage of 19.2, which drastically needs improvement. Additionally, the youngster has been lucky to have Goodrow and Kunin as his wingers. The veterans have provided Smith with valued assistance.
In a pregame interview, Warsofksy praised Smith’s performance against the Chicago Blackhawks. He mentioned that Smith played his best game yet and even seemed more comfortable on the ice. Smith was even more engaged and played the puck more than he had in the last few games. Importantly, Smith played a total of 19 minutes against the Blackhawks. Without a doubt, longer than he has played the previous games.
#TheFutureIsTeal is making lineup changes, including making Will Smith a healthy scratch. This is the team’s first back-to-back this season, and HC Warsofsky said this is part of a plan. Read more on @TheHockeyNews.
https://t.co/21takghftO
— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) October 18, 2024
The Sharks faced the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, October 18th and lost 8-3. However, Smith sat out of the game as a healthy scratch. This comes after Warsofky mentioned changing up the lines and moving players around.
Hopefully, this break will allow Smith to reset and become more focused on the game. The Sharks face the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, October 20th at home.
Main photo by: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
The post Sharks Rookie off to an Unexpected Slow Start appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.