What led to Sharks rookie Smith's improvement, offensive explosion

Editor's note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

Since mid-January, Sharks youngster Will Smith arguably has been the NHL’s best rookie.

Since Jan. 20, Smith’s homecoming game in Boston, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft’s 14 assists and 21 points lead all rookies. His seven goals are tied for third.

What’s behind Smith’s offensive explosion?

Microstats from Stathletes, NHL scouts, Smith, and Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky tell the story.

It all might have started … with a benching?

On Jan. 11, Smith was benched in the middle of a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild because of his puck management and defensive engagement, among other reasons.

Coincidence or not, his game has taken off since then, even before his triumphant return to Boston.

“I’m not going to talk about it too much,” Smith said in late February, when asked about that benching. “But I keep stuff in my head.”

Safe to say getting benched got his attention?

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “Obviously, I don’t want to get benched.”

So he took that … personally?

“I've always kind of been that way,” Smith said. “I don't forget about too much, so I'll tell you about plays that happened three years ago that I don't forget about.”

Of course, it’s not as simple as getting mad to succeed in the NHL.

“The pace of the game, it's slowed down for him,” Warsofsky said.

For a remarkable talent like Smith, maybe it was just a matter of time.

After all, Smith, who just turned 20, was taking on the best league in the world as a teenager.

An up-and-down campaign for a rookie is normal, especially one so young: Smith started the 2024-25 NHL season with zero points in his first eight games, followed by an 11-points-in-14-games run. Then in 15 appearances, up to his Jan. 11 benching, he had just three points. Since then, he has 22 points in his last 25 games.

“I feel more comfortable,” Smith said.

Here’s an example of Smith looking comfortable, and how he’s learned to not just survive NHL pace, but control it.

For about 30 seconds on the power play, Smith (No. 2) sets up along the left wall, takes what the Calgary Flames give him, mostly short perimeter passes to point man Jake Walman (No. 96) or low man Tyler Toffoli (No. 73). But when bumper William Eklund (No. 72) returns a short pass, Smith sees a passing lane and one-times a hard pass to Macklin Celebrini (No. 71) on the right flank.

That pass sends the Flames PK scrambling, and Celebrini takes advantage by feeding Toffoli in front for a dangerous scoring chance.

Smith and the Sharks almost lull the Flames PK to sleep before the rookie steps on the gas.

Here’s another example of Smith dictating pace:

Smith slows pace down, hits streaking Celebrini with perfect pass pic.twitter.com/27oyeZdPca

— San Jose Hockey Now GIFs (@sjhockeynowGIFS) March 25, 2025

Smith gains the zone before slowing it down at the point. He knows a hard-charging Celebrini is likely to beat his check down the slot. He also knows the puck is faster than the feet.

Smith’s patience, vision and touch all come together for a Grade-A chance.

Another expression of the 6-foot center-winger really processing NHL pace?

He isn’t getting stuck as often in puck battles that he can’t win as a teen in a man’s league. Per Stathletes, in the last 20 games, he has gotten into the second-least puck battles among Sharks forwards with 4.4 Puck Battles at 5-on-5 Per 60. That’s about half the Puck Battles he was getting in earlier this season.

This isn’t a bad thing: Around the NHL, the bottom-five forwards in Puck Battles are Patrick Kane, Toffoli, Alexander Ovechkin, Mark Stone and Kyle Connor.

Offensive wizard Kane, a hero of Smith’s, is a fantastic example of a smaller skill forward who’s able to dart in and out of tight spaces to win pucks and keep it away from bigger players with his skating and stickhandling. If you can’t catch him, you can’t battle him for the puck.

As for teammate Toffoli, because of his unremarkable foot speed, he’s smart enough to move the puck instead of losing it in an unnecessary battle.

So to quote Kenny Rogers, Smith has learned better when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.

Here’s another example of Smith keeping the puck away from his opponents with his poise and skill, which leads to a Sharks goal post.

Smith, in the corner, is able to keep the puck away from Joel Hanley (No. 44) and Nazem Kadri (No. 91), getting it back to the point. Eventually, Smith makes a play, hitting Fabian Zetterlund (No. 20) with a long, surprising pass.

“I've been holding onto it more, the corners, coming out there with more speed. Trying not to get held up [at] the glass is something that I’ve been trying to try to work on,” Smith said. “Definitely trying to move my feet more.”

“He’s putting himself in better positions,” Warsofsky said.

“Opportunistic” is how one NHL scout described Smith’s recent play.

Of course, Smith has to win the battles that he gets in, like Stone does, but that’ll come with time. He appears to be demonstrably stronger and quicker than Day 1 of the season, perhaps a small credit to the development days, i.e. healthy scratches, that he went through, mostly for back-to-back games, in the first half of his rookie year.

Smith has gained about 15 pounds from where he was at the end of last season in the NCAA, a lot of that seemingly muscle.

“He's not playing with fear. The game’s slowed down. He’s not chucking pucks all over the ice. He’s holding onto pucks when he’s got time and space. He’s starting to understand when he can’t make a play, what he needs to do with it,” Warsofsky said. “You got to have that feel [of] when to make a play and when to live to fight another day.”

More comfort, strength and quickness seemingly have upped Smith’s willingness to attack the middle of the ice.

In the last 20 games, he’s fifth among Sharks forwards with 1.93 High-Danger Chances in All Situations Per 60, more than double his rate than earlier this season.

“Definitely want to shoot more. Shooting more obviously creates more, and definitely getting more inside is something I've been focusing on,” Smith said.

He’s no Zach Hyman, the net-front warrior who’s league leader in High-Danger Chances, and he’s never going to be, but Smith is getting his nose dirtier.

“You watch the 4 Nations. We'll watch these playoffs in a couple months, and everything is done in the inside of the ice. If you don't have the courage to go there, you're just going to be another ... good NHL player. We want him to be a great NHL player,” Warsofsky stressed. “How do you do that? You got to do all the little things. Well, you got to get to the inside of the ice. You got to play with courage.”

Speaking of those little things, Smith has improved in that regard too. The recent point-per-game pace, of course, is obvious. But also?

“His D and compete are better,” another NHL scout said.

Credit to Smith, his camp and Sharks management, who both were firm and flexible in their development plan with the teen phenom this season.

They stuck to their guns, when many pundits thought Smith was better served developing in the AHL.

“He's come a long way since Day 1. Still got a ways to go, but we're seeing some improvement,” Warsofsky said.

No doubt, Smith is playing NHL-caliber hockey right now.

The Sharks also were flexible, moving Smith from center to wing, benching him when necessary and giving him development days.

They were confident that Smith would get much better over the course of the NHL season, and he has.

Between Smith and Leo Carlsson, who followed a similar development plan in his rookie 2023-24 campaign, this might be the way of the future for top teenage prospects in the NHL.

Of course, Smith isn’t done. Like Warsofsky says, he’s still got a ways to go.

Ex-Shark Nico Sturm summed up Smith’s next step.

“He has all the tools that the best players in the world have -- his shot, his vision,” the veteran’s veteran said last month. “He's gonna have to get stronger in the offseason. I think that's the biggest thing.”

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