I seriously don't understand what people realistically expect from him this year. There are so many rookies out there--who go on to become very good players!--who have experiences just like what we're seeing from him.
I kept a close eye on Smith tonight because why not, and while of course there's a major learning curve, you can definitely see these glimmers of potential brilliance, just without the space he expected or without teammates to do ANYTHING to help him out.
And without the puck, those gears are turning in his mind. It's his second professional game! Every 19-year-old learning to play center is going to have the kinds of boners he's had so far; it's just easier to get away with them when you don't have Kostin and Benning on the ice with you when they happen.
So seriously, FFS, a little patience would go A LONG way here. And some perspective!
I didn't know what to expect before getting to see both guys in the preseason. What I gleaned early on is that Celebrini was a noticeably better player than Smith at this juncture (and probably always will be) and so far that has borne itself out and so people are always going to be comparing him to Celebrini and wondering why he's not producing at the same level.
My thoughts on Smith are as follows:
1. His kind of game is the worst kind of game to pair with a team that is SORELY lacking in offensive skill level. Any young kid whose best trait is surveying the ice, and finding the right guy to pass it to while not really being an impact scorer or defender and not being physically dominant is going to struggle. Hockey is an unkind sport to most very young players and he's going through that struggle right now. Fortunately, he's living with a guy who very much lived that struggle as a young player himself for multiple seasons who will be a good sounding board for these tough times.
2. For whatever reason on this forum, the more experienced forwards in the top six never seem to get the same microscope that Smith does. Other than the pass and shot on the offsides goal that didn't count, what did Granlund or Zetterlund do in this game offensively to create chances? Toffoli doesn't really ever do anything unless someone else sets him up for a shot. Ecklund was the only guy that really stood out a little and even in his case, he wasn't really creating much in the way of genuine chances. These guys are supposed to be helping the rookies look better, not the other way around. Instead it was Celebrini making those guys look better in Game 1 and the only other time the other top six forwards have done anything that didn't involve Celebrini was the power play goal in Game 1 where Granlund made the sweet feed to Zetterlund.
Will Smith is playing the most demanding forward position with zero pro experience at age 19. It's going to be a tough adjustment and there will be a lot of bumps in the road.