Speculation: Player Discussion: Will Smith

[coooldude]

I agree with this. Nit-picking each game to focus on the few positive plays isn’t indicative of him “getting better”. He will eventually be a big part of the team but for now he’s not really an NHL player. I’d honestly rather see Graf playing over him but for the sake of his development you gotta keep rolling him out.

Yep. Basically I only watch to see Smith, Eklund, Thompson, Gushchin, and Thrun shifts right now, in that order. Rest of the game is bonus. And if I'm being really honest, it's Smith and Eklund, a very large gap, and everyone else.

However I do like watching the details, so I'm not going to go into a hole for two years and then come out and look at Smith's stats. I like watching his shifts over time. Same would be true of Celly and Mukh if and when they return.

 

[TheBeard]

Yep. Basically I only watch to see Smith, Eklund, Thompson, Gushchin, and Thrun shifts right now, in that order. Rest of the game is bonus. And if I'm being really honest, it's Smith and Eklund, a very large gap, and everyone else.

However I do like watching the details, so I'm not going to go into a hole for two years and then come out and look at Smith's stats. I like watching his shifts over time. Same would be true of Celly and Mukh if and when they return.

Agreed. Wins are nice but not what I’m prioritizing. Smith is such a polarizing figure now amongst us that every good or bad play is unfairly magnetized. Let him get his bumps and bruises for the time being. I assume he’s still going to be a part of the US WJC team around the holidays?

 

[fasterthanlight]

I'm just repeating what others have said but, I also believe it's very likely the sharks essentially promised he'd be in the NHL all year or similar. He's definitely shown flashes and who knows what's good or not for development.

 

[karltonian]

Just think, he could have been Michkov

 

[OrrNumber4]

Just think, he could have been Michkov

Michkov has 9 points in 9 games and is their 2nd-leading scorer. Great start for him...

 

[karltonian]

Michkov has 9 points in 9 games and is their 2nd-leading scorer. Great start for him...

thatsthejoke.gif

 

[OrrNumber4]

thatsthejoke.gif

Poe's law in full effect...

 

[karltonian]

Poe's law in full effect...

It's just so Sharky for the player that was too risky to draft works out fine and tears up the league while the "safe" player that was drafted doesn't even look like he belongs in the league, and our own potential superstar is apparently badly injured and could never be the same player.

 

[OrrNumber4]

It's just so Sharky for the player that was too risky to draft works out fine and tears up the league while the "safe" player that was drafted doesn't even look like he belongs in the league, and our own potential superstar is apparently badly injured and could never be the same player.

Where did you get this from?

 

[Cas]

Where did you get this from?

He has missed two and a half weeks now, with no end in sight.

I don't know that he's "badly injured," but he's certainly hurt enough that we should be at least mildly concerned.

 

[Friday]

If next Monday (their 2 weeks until update) MG says something like we're still week to week and we will have updates in 2 more weeks. Not going to lie Ill panic then haha

 

[tiburon12]

and our own potential superstar is apparently badly injured and could never be the same player.

He has missed two and a half weeks now, with no end in sight.

I don't know that he's "badly injured," but he's certainly hurt enough that we should be at least mildly concerned.

TIL "progressing well" and "no setbacks" means that a player is dying

 

[karltonian]

Dude has been hurt for almost a month, remember this started during preseason. He's not even skating, that's pretty WTF in my book. Of course I'm exaggerating for effect but I'm getting pretty damn impatient, the entire plan for the team is in limbo with him out. He is literally the piece we are building around so for him to be out means the team spins it wheels until he's back.

A thought did occur to me, had he opted to go back to school this year, this team is basically what we'd be stuck with all year. Yeesh.

 

[CHALUPA]

Dude has been hurt for almost a month, remember this started during preseason. He's not even skating, that's pretty WTF in my book. Of course I'm exaggerating for effect but I'm getting pretty damn impatient, the entire plan for the team is in limbo with him out. He is literally the piece we are building around so for him to be out means the team spins it wheels until he's back.

A thought did occur to me, had he opted to go back to school this year, this team is basically what we'd be stuck with all year. Yeesh.

He’s skating.

This is a lot of panic for the information we have.

 

[karltonian]

He’s skating.

Source?

 

[CHALUPA]

Source?

Sharks Practice: New Lines, Dellandrea Injury, Celebrini Update

SALT LAKE CITY — The San Jose Sharks are trying to stay positive. It’s not easy, 0-7-2, the first team in NHL history to lose nine-straight games in back-to-back seasons. But what choice do the Sharks have? They can drown themselves in negativity, and not come up until April, when the season...

sanjosehockeynow.com

(Warsofsky) also shared a quick update on Macklin Celebrini, who’s skating at home: “Progressing, still week-to-week.”

 

[karltonian]

Sharks Practice: New Lines, Dellandrea Injury, Celebrini Update

SALT LAKE CITY — The San Jose Sharks are trying to stay positive. It’s not easy, 0-7-2, the first team in NHL history to lose nine-straight games in back-to-back seasons. But what choice do the Sharks have? They can drown themselves in negativity, and not come up until April, when the season...

sanjosehockeynow.com

lol skating at home, so no one has seen him actually skate, we have no idea if he is barely able to move or what. let me know when he's back at practice or at least skating in public.

 

[Hodge]

I assume he’s still going to be a part of the US WJC team around the holidays?

Christ I hope not. Why have him risk injury in a meaningless tournament for children?

 

[CHALUPA]

lol skating at home, so no one has seen him actually skate, we have no idea if he is barely able to move or what. let me know when he's back at practice or at least skating in public.

Imo, they would have put him on IR if it were a longer term issue. I don’t think there’s enough evidence of it being a super long term issue, to warrant being this concerned about it. Anything is possible, but it doesn’t strike me as the most likely outcome.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

lol skating at home, so no one has seen him actually skate, we have no idea if he is barely able to move or what. let me know when he's back at practice or at least skating in public.

I hear that Ricci is on the ice with him and having him work on things. Jumbo has also been seen out there with him. I haven’t seen him skate but I don’t get the impression that he can barely move.

 

[MackAttack71]

Wrong thread to talk about Mack's injury. This is the thread why Will is so damn bad

 

[weastern bias]

Christ I hope not. Why have him risk injury in a meaningless tournament for children?

Because no one has ever been injured in an NHL game before, he's plenty safe here at home

 

[Hodge]

Because no one has ever been injured in an NHL game before, he's plenty safe here at home

I shouldn't have to explain why Smith getting injured in an NHL game is far more acceptable than some scrub on Team Latvia taking him out in a junior tournament.

 

[weastern bias]

I shouldn't have to explain why Smith getting injured in an NHL game is far more acceptable than some scrub on Team Latvia taking him out in a junior tournament.

You literally do, it's the same thing, he's getting injured during a hockey game

What? Is his injury going to damper our playoff hopes?

 

[Hodge]

You literally do, it's the same thing, he's getting injured during a hockey game

What? Is his injury going to damper our playoff hopes?

There is no benefit to the Sharks or Smith to him playing in that tournament. It's all risk and no reward. We already know he can dominate that level of play.

Injury risk is an acceptable and unavoidable cost of him playing and developing in the NHL.