Smith Surprised by How Close He Got With Celebrini, Hopes To Play Center Again

It was a tale of two seasons for Will Smith.

Before his homecoming on Jan. 20 to play the Boston Bruins, Smith had just six goals and 15 points in 40 games.

That’s not bad for a 19-year-old in his rookie campaign, but it’s not what the San Jose Sharks’ 2023 fourth-overall pick, who had led the NCAA with 71 points in 41 games last season, was accustomed to.

In the last two months of the season though, from Jan. 20 to the end of the season, Smith was one of the best rookies in hockey, with 12 goals and 30 points in just 34 games, tied with the Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov in trailing just teammate Macklin Celebrini’s 31 points for the rookie lead in that span of time.

Smith’s next step is turning himself into a winning player.

That means getting stronger and quicker this off-season.

“Taking rims, my shot, and also just battle work,” Smith said about what he wants to improve on the ice next year. “You’re playing against grown men in the best league in the world, so you have to be good at protecting the puck.”

In his exit interview today, Smith also spoke about why he gets along so well with now-best friend Celebrini, getting back to playing center in the NHL, and his favorite moment this season.

Smith, on looking back on the season up until now:

There’s a couple of different things I could look at, but as the year went on, I progressed in different spots, trying to be better in the D-zone and O-zone.

Smith, on if he sees next year as a reinvention or redemption:

That’s a tough question. I don’t think we’re trying to reinvent anything, but this year was obviously tough, so we definitely want to be better.

Smith, on his development plan this season:

I think I was going to do whatever the team wanted. We talked about that before I signed, and thought it worked out. I thought that moving towards the end of the year, I started to feel better, so I thought that was good for me.

Smith, on his highest and lowest moments of the season:

There were a lot of fun moments that we had. I think going back home to Boston, it was pretty cool playing there. We had a bunch of fun games, but obviously, losing was the lowest.

Smith, on how much Toffoli helped him this year:

He was awesome. I think everyone sees it in the media and on Instagram and all that stuff, but even behind the cameras, he’s awesome to us and is always hanging out and having some good laughs. It’s always fun.

Smith, on how he thinks he’s matched up to his own expectations at the beginning of the season:

Well, you have personal goals and team goals. I think the start of the year was obviously tough for the team and myself, but I think as the year went on, I picked it up and definitely want to start next year feeling good.

Smith, on how he adjusted moving from center to wing:

I mean, I played at center my whole life, so I tried to get used to the wing as much as I could. As the year went on, it definitely got more comfortable.

Smith, on if his goal is to get back to playing center:

Yeah, I mean like I said, I was at center my whole life, so I think that’s why I got drafted, and I think that’s probably what I want to be, but I think being both is something I can make happen.

Smith, on if that the San Jose Sharks’ plan:

We actually haven’t talked about it yet.

Smith, on what he wants to work on most for on-ice skills:

I think taking rims, my shot, and also just battle work. You’re playing against grown men in the best league in the world, so you have to be good at protecting the puck.

Smith, on how important this offseason is for him:

It’s really important. It’s been a long year, I played double the amount of games I did last year, so I’m definitely going to make sure to take time to recover and make sure I’m ready to go when I come in and hit the ground running.

Smith, on if there was a moment he felt he belonged in the NHL:

I wouldn’t say a certain moment. I think all year, I had that mindset that I belonged here. Besides that, I think as the year went on, I’ve gotten more comfortable and more confident.

Smith, on how the adjustment was:

It’s tough for everyone coming in their first year. I don’t think people realize that on the outside of a team just how much we travel. It does take a little bit of wear and tear on your body, but we’re still living our dream in all these different cities, so it’s still pretty cool, but you have to be able to recover and take care of your body.

Smith, on how they’ll get back to the “heyday” of Sharks hockey:

I think, like Logan’s speech, how other teams will look at us coming to San Jose and how tough it is. It was pretty cool, and it’s definitely our goal to get back to that.

Smith, on what he’s learned from living with Patty:

It was awesome, I’m so happy I did it. They’re definitely going to be a family that I’m going to be connected with my whole life now. I learned everything—not even with hockey, just off the ice and how great the people are.

Smith, on if he’s getting his own place next year:

Haven’t thought about it.

Smith, on how well he gets along with Celebrini:

Probably not this much, to be honest. Everyone knows that we were rivals before that and we didn’t say a word to each other before that. I think it’s pretty cool.

Smith, on being excited to potentially compete against Celebrini at Worlds:

Yeah, I am.

Smith, on why he gets along so well with Celebrini:

I don’t know, I think we both have funny personalities and just enjoy coming to the rink. We have something about us that we can still have fun and laugh about a lot of stuff, but we know when we get out there, it’s time to dial in.

Special thanks to Maddie Dutra for her help transcribing