The San Jose Sharks are relying heavily on young players this season, and none of them have experienced more ups and downs than rookie forward Will Smith. He has played in a wide range of spots in the lineup with many different skaters and has gone through hot and cold stretches as he adjusts to the NHL. He’s currently in a slump, and how head coach Ryan Warsofsky and his staff manage that slump will be heavily scrutinized. They have already made difficult decisions with Smith throughout the season, but those moves can become even more controversial as he struggles. They’ll have further choices to make during this season, and those could send him in the right or wrong direction for the rest of his career.
Smith’s Benching Against Wild Raises Questions
To say Smith’s season has had good and bad waves would be putting it mildly. He failed to register a point in his first eight career games but followed up with 11 points in his next 14 appearances. In his 15 most recent contests, however, he’s posted just three points and had a positive plus/minus on only one occasion. Those tough stretches are common for rookies, and the Sharks have used different methods to manage them for Smith. These include moving him from center to wing, changing his linemates, and giving him games off so he can focus on working with developmental coaches. But his situation came to a head on Saturday, Jan. 11, during a loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Late in the second period, Smith attempted to exit the Sharks’ defensive zone but made a bad pass to the middle of the ice which the Wild easily intercepted and turned into multiple high-quality looks at the net. While the play didn’t result in a Minnesota goal, it cost San Jose a breakout opportunity, and that sequence became Smith’s final shift of the night.
Warsofsky’s decision to bench Smith for the rest of the game and his comments afterward create a lot of room for discussion. Warsofsky stated that Smith is struggling with his confidence, but does benching a player hurt his confidence more than letting him work through his mistakes on the ice? Several Sharks veterans have made notable blunders during games without seeing their ice time significantly reduced. This could suggest a disparity in the treatment between certain members of the team, which becomes particularly concerning when remembering that Warsofsky specifically noted his ability to relate to young players at his introductory press conference.
Related: 4 Thoughts at the Sharks’ Midway Point of the Season
The benching even shows the gap between Sharks with the same amount of experience. Though he’s had a better rookie season than Smith, Macklin Celebrini has made plenty of errors of his own. Warsofsky has never benched Celebrini as punishment nor publicly discussed his lack of confidence. He isn’t necessarily wrong to do so, but it could raise issues of favoritism, potentially impacting team chemistry and player satisfaction.
The Sharks are playing a lot of up-and-coming players, and helping them navigate their difficulties on the ice as the team struggles is a delicate balance. Smith is no exception, and it seems as though the team is still determining the correct way to handle him.
Sharks Have Options for Smith’s Development
Smith’s rookie season is at a crossroads, and the Sharks need to find answers. They could go back to removing him from the lineup in certain games for development days, which they haven’t done in a while. They could also move him up the lineup, as he seemed to play better when on a line with scorers rather than a checking line. Of course, this could weaken other lines and force some of his fellow forwards to play out of position.
In the most extreme possibility, they could send him to the minors for a time. They haven’t given any indication they plan to do so, but it might carry some benefits. Smith would get a chance to focus on his game away from the pressure of the NHL, training with coaches who specialize in development. He would receive much more playing time than he currently does, allowing him to maximize his work in real-game situations. On the flip side, he might learn more from continuing to play against NHL competition, but much of that will depend on the approach the coaching staff takes with him.
This season is a time for the Sharks to evaluate the players they expect to be part of the future, and Smith may be their toughest case so far. With whatever decisions they make, a good end to his season can be a starting point for much greater success to come.
