Sharks’ Will Smith continuing to learn on job after benching vs. Wild

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.

Will Smith, like the rebuilding San Jose Sharks, is learning on the job.

It’s normal for a teenager in the NHL to be down, then up, then down again. It’s normal for a young team to be down, then up, then down again.

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Generally, you can divide both Smith and San Jose’s seasons so far in three parts.

For Smith, he had zero points in his first eight games. Then, he enjoyed an 11 points-in-14-games run. However, over his last 15 appearances, he has just three points.

It’s not just about points, of course, but they paint a picture.