GDT: Game 46 @ DRW 4pm

[drunksage]

SNOG announcement​

No SNOG. Maybe updated tables soon?

 

[Lebanezer]

 

[The Nemesis]

View attachment 961331

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

I think you can go back and look at how Eklund's game has grown and extrapolate. I think Eklund was more active in his first audition with the Sharks but he was getting dummied at 19 also. Nowadays, he's pretty good at handling contact and board play. Just hoping that Smith gets more comfortable initiating contact.

so luckily for me, Sheng posted an old Eklund article with gifs for us to look at

EXCLUSIVE: William Eklund Breaks Down His Sharks Tape | SJHN+

Imagine getting to study game film with a 19-year-old Erik Karlsson. Learning from a future master of the game, who’s just coming into his full powers. That’s what I thought about when I got a chance to sit down with 2021 first-round pick William Eklund — before he got re-assigned — and break...

sanjosehockeynow.com

Where Has Eklund Improved This Year, Where Can He Get Better?

Remember the Gecko? That was William Eklund’s nickname last season during his nine-game NHL debut. Brent Burns’s nickname for William Eklund is the Gecko. “He slings around like a little lizard out there. He’s always got his head up. He just makes great offensive plays. You don’t really know if...

sanjosehockeynow.com

I will have to take a closer look at this later. I remember 18 year old Eklund making mistakes and being torn on whether or not he should say; I do not remember him losing basically every single puck battle the way Smith has. But memories can be hazy and he might be a great example of somebody making massive improvements even if he was never quite as bad as Smith (since he's really good at battling for pucks now)!

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[hohosaregood]

I will have to take a closer look at this later. I remember 18 year old Eklund making mistakes and being torn on whether or not he should say; I do not remember him losing basically every single puck battle the way Smith has. But memories can be hazy and he might be a great example of somebody making massive improvements even if he was never quite as bad as Smith (since he's really good at battling for pucks now)!

Eklund was better for sure no doubt about that. Especially about wanting to get in there but he lost battles in similar ways.

 

[Jargon]

I will have to take a closer look at this later. I remember 18 year old Eklund making mistakes and being torn on whether or not he should say; I do not remember him losing basically every single puck battle the way Smith has. But memories can be hazy and he might be a great example of somebody making massive improvements even if he was never quite as bad as Smith (since he's really good at battling for pucks now)!

I don’t remember how he did in puck battles but he played much faster than Smith and was, even then, a surprisingly good defensive player. He was also and sneaky as hell and could evade guys in a very noticeable, positive way. I kinda think Eklund sort of always looked pretty good and then suddenly amazing, and then okay again.

I think with Will, he looks a little slow and a little behind (though getting better) and has shifts where he looks just awful and shifts where he makes 3 passes that very few guys can make with ease. Like, I think his highs were higher than Eklund’s but his lows AND his mids look worse, if that makes sense.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Absolutely. Smith is basically average height for a forward, and is far from the only 19 year old to ever play in the league. Why is he being dominated in puck battles like no player we’ve ever seen before? I don’t claim to know the answer, but we can’t pretend it doesn’t raise concerns regarding his long term future.

Probably just a lack of preparation. Not everyone is a fitness freak, or really into modern training/fitness.

 

[karltonian]

Absolutely. Smith is basically average height for a forward, and is far from the only 19 year old to ever play in the league. Why is he being dominated in puck battles like no player we’ve ever seen before? I don’t claim to know the answer, but we can’t pretend it doesn’t raise concerns regarding his long term future.

Patty is priming him to break his record

 

[Dicdonya]

50% of Will Smith's problems are from being a skinny teenager and the other 50% are assuming that his teammate is going to break out the puck uncontested and blowing the zone for the pass. Those two things worked fine at BC, not in the NHL.

He's frustrating because the things he does poorly are so easily fixable.

This is why I am not worried about Smith yet because you can clearly see what he is trying to do, he is just failing to do it more often than not.

However if something clicks for him, and he starts actually completing the plays he is attempting, he will go from frustrating to awesome in an hurry.

Outside of that there is the obvious that he needs to get stronger, and the coach needs to ride his ass about how it seems he is either terrified or unwilling to engage in 50-50 board battles. When you wont even attempt to go into the boards with Kane, a guy that is smaller than Smith, yeah.....something is wrong with that and needs to be fixed. I could understand a 19yo rookie being a bit hesitant to fly into the boards against some 6'5 defenseman or something, but not Kane.

 

[STL Shark]

I will have to take a closer look at this later. I remember 18 year old Eklund making mistakes and being torn on whether or not he should say; I do not remember him losing basically every single puck battle the way Smith has. But memories can be hazy and he might be a great example of somebody making massive improvements even if he was never quite as bad as Smith (since he's really good at battling for pucks now)!

Eklund had also played in men's leagues in Sweden prior to coming to the NHL. A little more prepared for what that looked like compared to Smith.

Not saying it means that Smith automatically figures it out, just that it's another contributing factor. Then look at others in his draft class struggling from a production standpoint as well in Year 2 in the NHL and it all sort of just shows how special a guy like Celebrini is doing what he is as a teenager compared to what the norm is for young guys.

 

[Skeksis25]

The offseason is going to be key and telling for both Smith and Celebrini. Now that they have had a taste of NHL action, hopefully they both realize how critical it is to get stronger physically. Less videogames and basketball games with Joe Thornton's kid and more time in the gym!

 

[KJoe88]

Wings fan in peace. You guys are going to be nuts in a couple seasons.

Like deadly. Good luck boys

 

[jarr92]

Why is it so hard to use the Smith thread for discussion on Will Smith?