When the Sharks drafted Will Smith at 4th overall, it was bittersweet. On the one hand, there was no denying that Smith had immense potential, but after an awful season, missing out on players like Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, or even passing on the Russian superstar Matvei Michkov was a disappointment for some Sharks fans. Two seasons later, and with Macklin Celebrini a year into his NHL career, it’s easy to forget any disappointment that day, and Will Smith himself has managed to keep up with the top players in that class anyway.
Still, Will Smith’s season gets somewhat overshadowed by his rookie counterpart, Macklin Celebrini. Smith put up 45 points in 74 games, after going scoreless in his first 9. That's a 50-point pace per 82 games as a rookie for Smith. Combine that with what he showed in the NCAA scoring at the same rate as superstars Jack Eichel and Kyle Connor from a point perspective, and Smith’s progression has been tantalizing for the Sharks.
Smth showed glimpses of brilliance last season with his playmaking, being able to thread pucks through sticks and find teammates in creative ways. This was particularly evident when he was playing with Celebrini, with whom he showed excellent chemistry at the end of last season. Smith also demonstrated that he was a threat to score last season, netting 18 goals. A significant portion of those goals came from distance, which is impressive for a player who was always known for his passing, but Smith showed 30+ goal potential as a rookie. Will Smith also received crucial development time in a high-pressure environment, winning gold with Team USA at the World Championships.
The biggest thing for me with Smith is how much better he got as the year progressed; he improved every game and ended the season as a significantly better player than he started. If this trend continues, he could take another massive jump into a star next season.
Still, things won’t be as easy for Smith next season. Looking at their current roster, the Sharks should move him back down the middle at least to start next season. And he likely won’t be as protected in terms of usage as he was this season. Harder deployment will likely hurt his production, but overall, it will be beneficial for his development in the long run. Long-term, Smith is likely to be pushed back to the wing in favor of Michael Misa, but for now, it’s beneficial for him to be down the middle and gain that experience, and add versatility for the Sharks. For Smith to stay down the middle, he needs to get stronger and faster, which is normal for players his age, so that should be the focus for him going into next season.
Personally, in the long term, Smith is best served on the wing. He showed his offense could work on the wing just fine, and with his play style, allowing him to focus on offense. Alongside a two-way center, like Celebrini, could make an elite duo on the top line for the Sharks for years to come. It will be interesting to see how long the Sharks are willing to keep him down the middle next season if he continues his struggles at center. Whether it's at wing or center, though, the Sharks have a star on their hands in Will Smith, and I'm excited to see where he is at come training camp in September.