Speculation: Player Discussion: Will Smith

[Barrie22]

He's 8-8 in faceoffs in his last 3 games compared to 5-21 in his first 3. Granted, he understandably has had his faceoff opportunities reduced after his bad start there, but he has shown improvement. If he can keep working at it and earning back the trust of the coaching staff, I'm sure he will start to see some more PP time. You can't really put a center on the PP that will lose most of his faceoffs.

I know we all want to see the points from him, but I feel like that will come eventually. He has started making some nice plays and setting guys up that just haven't been finished. I feel as long as he keeps improving little by little in the other aspects of his game, that should earn him more consistent ice time. And once that happens, the points will probably come.

To be on the powerplay he doesn't really need to take faceoffs though. Granlund would still be there to take those. And even Eklund could if needed.

 

[coooldude]

Some "basic" advanced stats for Smith so far (Moneypuck):

• On-ice xGF is middle of pack but improving. He had a good game 1 (with Granny), a bad week, and then has picked it up in the past few games and had a great game last game for being on ice while chances were generated (many of them were directly due to him)
• Granlund, Eklund, Goodrow, Toffoli are top of team at On-ice xGF
• On-ice xGA is bad. Smith is 6th worst behind Eklund, Granlund, Toffoli, Zetterlund, and Kostin... however, no /60 here and that would make Smith (but really Kostin) look worse.
• On-ice xGd (differential) is getting a lot better - second chart below. Smith was the worst forward on the ice thru the first few games, but has improved significantly since, and is in a grouping with Zetterlund and Sturm, just below Eklund, Kunin, Granlund, Toffoli, Dellandrea. Best by far is Goodrow, worst by far is Kostin. Arguably... Goodrow has been our best forward.
  
  

 

[CHALUPA]

One of these games, he’s going to have a Will Smith-kind of breakthrough and I think all of a sudden he’s going to look much better. He just, for his own sake, needs to have a couple of goals go in/some of his passes converted.

Wouldn’t any kind of breakthrough be a “Will Smith-kind” of breakthrough?

 

[Skeksis25]

Just needs to score on a slapshot and it will be a Will Smith breakthrough.

 

[timorous me]

Some "basic" advanced stats for Smith so far (Moneypuck):

• On-ice xGF is middle of pack but improving. He had a good game 1 (with Granny), a bad week, and then has picked it up in the past few games and had a great game last game for being on ice while chances were generated (many of them were directly due to him)
• Granlund, Eklund, Goodrow, Toffoli are top of team at On-ice xGF
• On-ice xGA is bad. Smith is 6th worst behind Eklund, Granlund, Toffoli, Zetterlund, and Kostin... however, no /60 here and that would make Smith (but really Kostin) look worse.
• On-ice xGd (differential) is getting a lot better - second chart below. Smith was the worst forward on the ice thru the first few games, but has improved significantly since, and is in a grouping with Zetterlund and Sturm, just below Eklund, Kunin, Granlund, Toffoli, Dellandrea. Best by far is Goodrow, worst by far is Kostin. Arguably... Goodrow has been our best forward.
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I do think a real challenge for Smith this season has been the way his line has been put in a blender every single night--not ideal for a kid so early in his development process! Obviously the Celebrini injury has caused ripple effects, but it's unfortunate.

I actually kind of liked the line from last game for Smith. Goodrow seems surprisingly to be the guy he's shown the most chemistry with (not necessarily Goodrow as a talent who can help him put up points, but the way he plays and the way he forechecks and the way he can help gain possession), and I feel like Dellandrea has been improving with each and every game and looking like more than a 4th line plug. But maybe someone like Zetterlund on the right of that line could be good, too.

Also, Jesus Christ, Kostin, lol--that line at the bottom is something else on a team that's been as bad as the Sharks have this year. How the hell can you be that much of a negative outlier?!