San Jose Sharks
How Can Will Smith Become a Better Winger?

Benching Will Smith is part of the process.
That’s how San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky looks at it.
On Saturday, in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, the top prospect was sat late in the second period.
William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund and Henry Thrun and Shakir Mukhamadullin have all gone through the same thing.
“All of them have had development blocks and speed bumps and getting through that, and mentally getting through it is a challenge,” Warsofsky said on Monday. “I’m sure [Smith will] look back on this, whether that’s in 20 games or in 60 games, or whatever it might be, and probably be happy that he went through it, because it’s a good learning moment.”
Not part of the process? Sending the San Jose Sharks’ fourth-overall pick of the 2023 Draft to the AHL.
“We haven’t talked about that whatsoever,” Warsofsky said.
Instead, it’s a trial by fire in the NHL for Smith.
“You can look at his face and you can see it. He’s got low confidence for the first time, probably, in his hockey life,” Warsofsky said of the NCAA and USNTDP star. “We’re not just going to leave him on an island. We got to help him. We got to work with him.”
For what it’s worth, Will Smith has enjoyed clear highs this season and according to multiple non-San Jose Sharks’ NHL scouts, Smith is a better player than he was in October, so he is developing.
He’s just in a rut — which he has gotten out of before this year.
Smith had zero points in his first eight games. Then, he went on an 11 points-in-14-games run. But, over his last 15, he’s put up just three points.
Mikael Granlund, the No. 9 pick of the 2010 Draft, went through similar struggles when he came over from Finland as a much-hyped 20-year-old in 2012-13, saying of his fellow playmaker, “He’s already grown a lot throughout the season. He’s only gonna get better.”
So Smith is trying to keep his eyes on the prize, which isn’t the funk that he’s experiencing now: “Stick with it. Best league in the world, there’s going to be ups and downs. I’m 19, so I think I’ll be fine.”
What are some of the learning moments from Smith’s benching? Two former NHL wingers and a current NHL scout chimed in.
All video clips are courtesy SportContract.