Smith has skill, needs more size to claim Sharks roster spot

William Smith has been referred to as a human highlight-reel who can turn a basic play into something special, and the 18-year-old center wasted no time putting his speed and skill on display at development camp one week after the San Jose Sharks selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

"A lot of ability," said John McCarthy, coach of San Jose of the American Hockey League. "You can see why he was drafted where he was. He's elusive with the puck. He can make plays other players can't."

Smith, who is from Lexington, Massachusetts, is coming off of a productive campaign with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program U-18 team, where he had 127 points (51 goals, 76 assists) in 60 games. He also led the United States with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in seven games at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, helping it win the gold medal.

"I certainly see the skill set with Will," Sharks coach David Quinn said. "The pace he plays at, his shot and his visual intelligence."

But Smith (6-foot, 181 pounds) isn't done evolving. He will begin his collegiate career at Boston College this fall, and his goal is to add size and power to his game.

"Strength and the weight room, putting on some muscle and getting more power in my skating," Smith said. "That's obviously something I'm always working on."

Size is something San Jose wants to add at each end of the ice, so Smith has the right idea.

"Over the course of four or five years, we've gotten a little bit smaller as an organization," Quinn said. "We all talk about the speed and skill of this game, and it has improved, but [when] playoff hockey starts, it's better to have some size."

The same goes for the AHL as well.

"If you're going to defend your net hard and you're going to attack your net hard, you need some bigger bodies and bigger, stronger guys to clear out the front of your net and also generate those second chances out there," McCarthy said.

Although the Sharks were excited to select Smith at No. 4, there isn't any immediate pressure for him to be NHL ready.

"What we're looking for so far is their approach," McCarthy said of San Jose's prospects. "Do they handle themselves as a pro? Do they come in ready to work? Are they engaged in the meetings? Are they retaining the information? Some guys have done this same thing for five years now, so you expect them to be a little bit ahead. But for other guys, this is their first crack at it."