C Will Smith - San Jose Sharks , NHL(2023, 4th, SJS)

[NTDP]

Thanks, that's what I thought but couldn't find any articles about it. I guess I could've just looked at the DOB

Yeah that's true plus most of the time it's just not necessary to rush into the NCAA as a true 17 year old. Zach Werenski did it at Michigan, and Macklin Celebrini is going to this year at BU. There's been others to do it, but it's a case by case basis. If a player who's highly skilled doesn't accelerate to college a year early I don't think it should look bad on them, what matters is where you're at when you're 21-24 and focus on your development. Been lots of players who have been high end and rushed it into different leagues and it never panned out for them.

 

[MMC]

Welcome to San Jose

 

[AcerComputer]

SJ picks Will Smith 1st OA....lol Marleau

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Just looking at the stats, it seems like his numbers are comparable to Zegras' in his draft year.

 

[mphmiles]

Just looking at the stats, it seems like his numbers are comparable to Zegras' in his draft year.

Who knows how he'll pan out, and numbers aren't everything, but he blew Zegras' numbers out of the water. 40 more points in the same amount of games.

 

[Frosty415]

Why is no one discussing this guy? Had to go back 9 pages to find this topic, while the top 3 draftees are in the front page

 

[Kcoyote3]

Cause San Jose is worried about where Karlsson is gonna go and we all knew Smith was coming months ago

 

[CBJx614]

Why is no one discussing this guy? Had to go back 9 pages to find this topic, while the top 3 draftees are in the front page

Because it's the mains and SJ isn't a Canadian team. Much like Fantilli most of the actual discussion at this point is happening on the SJ board I would imagine.

The only reason Fantillis has been at the top is because I've been updating it through the start of prospect camp today.

 

[Jargon]

I am wildly excited for Smith and can’t wait to see him reach his ceiling and be our next star player.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

The only reason Fantillis has been at the top is because I've been updating it through the start of prospect camp today.

you sly fox you
bringing your boy fantilli to the top

anyways,
for the sake of discussion, i would like to kick things off with these two questions:

1) Is Smith the Kevin Labanc 2.0?

2) Should I be worried about Smith becoming Labanc?

 

[themelkman]

Why is no one discussing this guy? Had to go back 9 pages to find this topic, while the top 3 draftees are in the front page

Hes in San Jose so the rest of the league dont care, and there isnt much for sharks fans to discuss right now given he isnt joining the team next season

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

One thing I've felt throughout this season is that a lot of the Smith defense takes are so reactionary.

I would love to poll all these people who think he's bad defensively, and ask them if they watched him play even once before this season. I think you'd find that a lot of them started following him very recently.

Because there was a difference between how Smith played this season and last season. Last season, he was very workmanlike. He played all 200 feet, and he was the best NTDP guy going into his draft year because he was the only guy in that NTDP age group that didn't have that significant flaw that you pick apart.

He probably cheated a little bit for offense this year. Offense gets you drafted higher. A lot of his dangling and passing plays he didn't do last year to anywhere near the same degree. It seems like he knew where he needed to improve, and tried to play differently this season. In the end, it worked and got him drafted higher than he would've had he not changed his game.

I think the defense elements are still there, if he receives good coaching. I'm not going to fault the coaching he got this season, but it definitely seemed like they were okay with him changing from a two-way guy to an offensive guy to help the team score more. It wasn't the most offensively talented team to begin with, so maybe that was actually a directive he got from the NTDP as opposed to something he tried to do himself.

 

[coooldude]

Because it's the mains and SJ isn't a Canadian team. Much like Fantilli most of the actual discussion at this point is happening on the SJ board I would imagine.

The only reason Fantillis has been at the top is because I've been updating it through the start of prospect camp today.

Came to this thread to see if anyone outside of our SJ boards were discussing Smith -- appears like no.

Discussion on SJ boards mostly comes down to:
1. Some people are patient and waiting to see the results of his full season at BC. Any number of un-concerning reasons for a slower start.
2. Some people (including myself) are a bit concerned after a quiet summer and start to the season at BC. The analogy we finally got to is -- we drafted someone we hoped would be an A-level prospect (not A+), and his first report card/exam in the semester is more like a B... are we worried?
3. Some people were negative on him and still are, and there's a strong overlap with folks who thought we should have picked Michkov, regardless of the rumors he wouldn't have played for us as a small market team.

A few folks on the forum have watched the BC games and came away mostly with a positive impression of Smith's game... he has created some high danger chances, has had 2 breakaways, and seems to be processing but just not clicking. There is some concern (same as pre-draft) that he's a bit soft in board battles and seems a bit disinterested to play physically, but a counteracting strength on stick-lifts.

My take is the range of outcomes is centered around 2C or top 6 winger, but not elite/all-star (even though that's still possible). For me this is a bit disappointing as a 4OA but given how NHL drafting works, we'd take it and hope that we get another top pick in 2024.

 

[TLEH]

He has played 2 games. I think I would wait before giving him any sort of report card.

 

[FinnishCoyote]

I haven't watched him, but remember that Cooley also started slow last season. Around December he started to lit up and look at him now.

Be patient

 

[Stewie Griffin]

All of BC's scorers have had a slower start. Excited to when he gets scoring.

 

[Patty Ice]

He has played 2 games. I think I would wait before giving him any sort of report card.

Then it wouldn't be the HF Sharks board. Rational thought is frowned upon.

 

[TheBeard]

Came to this thread to see if anyone outside of our SJ boards were discussing Smith -- appears like no.

Discussion on SJ boards mostly comes down to:
1. Some people are patient and waiting to see the results of his full season at BC. Any number of un-concerning reasons for a slower start.
2. Some people (including myself) are a bit concerned after a quiet summer and start to the season at BC. The analogy we finally got to is -- we drafted someone we hoped would be an A-level prospect (not A+), and his first report card/exam in the semester is more like a B... are we worried?
3. Some people were negative on him and still are, and there's a strong overlap with folks who thought we should have picked Michkov, regardless of the rumors he wouldn't have played for us as a small market team.

A few folks on the forum have watched the BC games and came away mostly with a positive impression of Smith's game... he has created some high danger chances, has had 2 breakaways, and seems to be processing but just not clicking. There is some concern (same as pre-draft) that he's a bit soft in board battles and seems a bit disinterested to play physically, but a counteracting strength on stick-lifts.

My take is the range of outcomes is centered around 2C or top 6 winger, but not elite/all-star (even though that's still possible). For me this is a bit disappointing as a 4OA but given how NHL drafting works, we'd take it and hope that we get another top pick in 2024.

Holy shit dude. You're obsessed.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Then it wouldn't be the HF Sharks board. Rational thought is frowned upon.

You're joking right? Sharks board is one of the most rational and intelligent boards here. Now stubbornness, we have that but it's not egregious.

 

[coooldude]

Holy shit dude. You're obsessed.

I like the Sharks. Apparently you don't even like hockey!

Then it wouldn't be the HF Sharks board. Rational thought is frowned upon.

I can understand why you might disagree with my *slight* concern about Smith, but I have trouble understanding how you could read my post above, and then call it not rational. I summarized all the positions along a spectrum and then shared where I currently fall. Is there something you'd add or change?

 

[Patty Ice]

Settle. It was merely a joke.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

wildly optimistic and hot off the ”takes” press…Smiths gonna be a perennial all star in the NHL. Fight me..

 

[sigx15]

Any Sharks fans freaking out already need to take a deep breath. He looked good last game, just getting going. I'll never forget when people on this board were losing their minds over Boldy's slow start his freshman year, people were writing him off for good for not scoring for like 3 months or something, then he ripped up the 2nd half the year and the rest his history

 

[Fantomas]

All of BC's scorers have had a slower start. Excited to when he gets scoring.

Can one even call an outcome from 2 games as a slow start? I would understand doing this if Smith doesn't produce after 5 or 6 games.

But two games with an assist? He could get a hat trick in the next game and who would still be talking about a slow start?

 

[Jay26]

Are he and Leonard playing on the same line for BC?