San Jose Sharks
These Scouts Believe Will Smith Is NHL-Ready
Three scouts, all from outside the San Jose Sharks organization, think that Will Smith is ready for the NHL.
“I don’t see why not,” Scout #1 told San Jose Hockey Now. “He has nothing left to prove in college hockey.”
“Heard [Boston College is] trying hard to keep all three of those guys for one more season,” Scout #2 said, referring to the dynamite Smith-Ryan Leonard-Gabe Perreault trio. “Probably the best thing for Leonard and Perreault, but Smith can play in the NHL next year.”
All this leaves the top San Jose Sharks prospect, who led the NCAA with 71 points – as a freshman, no less – with an interesting decision.
On one hand, BC just fell short of a national championship, good reason for Smith and long-time linemates Leonard and Perreault to play it back.
On the other hand, if the 2023 fourth-overall pick is ready for the San Jose Sharks?
The reviews are in for Smith’s 25-goal and 46-assist campaign, and it doesn’t sound like he has anything left to prove with the Eagles.
Read the Full Article at NBC Sports Bay Area
Sharks Want To Bring Back Full Barracuda Coaching Staff
SPECULATION: Friedman Names 4 Possible Sharks Head Coach Candidates
Blackwood Talks Grier’s Exit Message to Sharks, Speer’s Impact on His Rebound Year
SJHN Daily: 6 More Possible Sharks Head Coach Candidates, Case for Don Granato
Zetterlund Going to World Championships, Talks Friendship With Eklund
NHL Scouts Talk Collin Graf’s Ceiling (+)
Grier on State of Sharks’ Rebuild, Free Agency Plans, Empty Seats at SAP Center & More (+)
Don’t Expect Will Smith To Sign With Sharks This Season
Sharks Locker Room: What’s the Organization’s Plan Besides Hoping To Draft Celebrini?
Penguins Miss Playoffs: Sharks Likely To Have Two 2024 Draft Lottery Picks
Blackwood Talks Grier’s Exit Message to Sharks, Speer’s Impact on His Rebound Year
Zetterlund Going to World Championships, Talks Friendship With Eklund
Vlasic Doesn’t Think He’ll Get Bought Out (It Doesn’t Make Sense Anyway)
REACTION: Quinn Fired!
Ferraro Teases Burns, Excited To Bring Sharks Back to Playoffs One Day
Can he go to the AHL for half a season to work on his defense? That seems to be the issue most people are referencing. Does it even make sense for him to do that?
Just start him on wing in the NHL first if he has a good camp. My favorite comparable from draft year was a poor man’s Kucherov. Take that all day.
I had a conversation yesterday about this. The NCAA would not be development in any significant sense. Playing with his buddies won’t force him to work on his defense and any/all offensive adaptations really will come from playing with/against pros. In fact, another year of NCAA may actually move him the wrong direction in his development. I’m sure Grier and Quinn are all over this with their development staff and I hope they, and Smith, come to the right decision for his future as a top-flight NHL center.
He might be ready… I’m not sure the Sharks are. The defense is just a nightmare. I wouldn’t be upset if he really wants to make the jump and either plays in either the NHL or AHL… but I think until the top 2 pairings improve (greatly) it’s probably best if he stays in college a little longer.
One of you said on a recent podcast that it seems like Smith is always looking for Perreault when he gets the puck. It might be good for Smith to develop next year in an environment where he doesn’t have that one high percentage play almost always available to him. He goes to Perreault because it works to the tune of like a 67-12 goal differential when that line is on the ice. He’s not worried about what’s best for his development out there, he’s just trying to win games. He’s going to continue to make those often risky plays… Read more »
It was Keegan who said that
I can’t really say if this is a good sign or not but I’ve never really seen him have to take a big hit. He kinda just knows how to find soft spots on the ice.
Definitely agree with his neutral zone defense being a plus attribute. It’s actually kind of incredible how good he can be picking off breakout passes.
I think he’s weak in the defensive zone though. He’s more of a cerebral high cover guy most of the time that will cheat for offense. So he’s not great at killing plays down low.
I think it’s a good sign. Knowing how to avoid big hits is definitely a skill of sorts (I’d chalk it up to awareness, which I think is one of his high-end aspects). We’ll see about him in the defensive zone. I think there’s potential in the way that someone like Mitch Marner (my personal comp for Smith) has developed in that way. I just think it’s going to take some time and the way he’s been able to play up to this point hasn’t really encouraged Smith to have to do much defensively, you know? So I’d call it… Read more »
What I worry about is the complete lack of middle round picks that have shown any kind of potential to be depth NHL players, core glue guys where are they?
Eh, Ethan Cardwell was a 4th rounder, Daniil Gushchin a 3rd, those two led the Cuda in goals and scoring respectively, Daniil will be a boom or bust top sixer but Cardsy’s shaping up to be a great bottom sixer. In the most recent draft our 4th rounder was Cagnoni who hit numbers we haven’t seen in 30 years, and who could make it as a 2nd or 3rd pair guy, and our fifth rounder Pohlkamp had a good enough glowup at Bemidji state to earn a transfer to the team that just won the Championship. The book’s not quite… Read more »
I believe he’s ready. I also believe it would a hell of a lot more fun for him to go back 1 more season and dominate while the Sharks pick up 1 more big piece. I understand it if he elects to take the money, I’m going to choose to be happy about whatever decision he makes. Either the Sharks will be more fun to watch, or I get to check in on Smith dominating the NCAA again, hopefully getting another shot at the frozen 4 NCAA title.