The Sharks locked up Will Smith.

Will Smith (hockey player) in middle of image looking happy with fire around him, San Jose Sharks logo, hockey rink in background

The San Jose Sharks could be set down the middle for the next decade after signing former No. 4 overall pick Will Smith to a three-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday, the team announced.

“Will is a dynamic and exciting young center and we are thrilled to have him join the organization after an impressive season with Boston College,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in the official statement. “We felt that this is the next best step for his development to becoming a full-time NHL player, and we are looking forward to seeing him compete at the highest level of hockey.”

Smith was selected in the 2023 NHL Draft by San Jose, and should make his debut with the Sharks sometime in 2024-25. Joining him will likely be Boston University standout Macklin Celebrini, if (and when) the Sharks select him with the No. 1 overall pick on June 28.

“Smith jumped onto the Sharks’ radar after a prolific 2022-23 campaign with the U.S. National Team Development Program. In 80 games, which included 20 in the United States Hockey League, he scored 66 goals and 169 points,” wrote Daily Faceoff’s Tyler Kuehl on Tuesday.

With Smith and Celebrini down the middle, the Sharks will have two ideal young centers to build the roster around as they look to come out of the NHL basement next season.

In his freshman year at Boston College, Smith led the entire nation with 25 goals and 71 points in just 41 games. The 19-year-old Massacusetts native also helped the United States win a gold medal at both the 2023 World U18 Championships, as well as the 2024 World Juniors.

He was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award — that Celebrini eventually won — setting a Boston College record for most points by a freshman in the process. The youngster looks NHL ready, and it’s likely he will make the team out of training camp later this year.

Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini will have Sharks set down the middle for a decade

Smith is already a San Jose Shark, and in about a month, Celebrini should be as well. The top-rated skater in the NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters will end up in California after the squad won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 7.

And although it will probably take a few years, the ceiling for this duo figures to be sky high. That’s especially true considering they’ll be joined by another first-round pick in 2024; the Sharks have the No. 14 overall selection as part of the trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer.

As the team selects a few players of the future, they’ll also be looking for a bench boss in 2024-25 and beyond. The Sharks remain without a coach after David Quinn was fired on April 24. It’s now been five seasons without Stanley Cup Playoff hockey in San Jose after a ghastly 19-54-9 record in 2023-24.

 

The hope is that Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini will be the catalysts of the franchise’s quest to begin another stretch of consistent postseason contention later in the 2020s.