Top San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith set to sign per insider
The San Jose Sharks prospect pool is bursting with talent headlined by Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini and an insider has shared that Smith intends on signing soon and leaving Boston College.
The 2023 draft class is one of the strongest in recent memory with elite talent that would be top three, maybe even first overall picks, in weaker draft years. One of these guys is 4th overall pick Will Smith who is expected to be a first-line center at the NHL level and a star.
In his first year after being drafted, Smith went to Boston College alongside other top prospects like Cutter Gauthier (5th overall in 2022), Ryan Leonard (8th overall in 2023), and Gabe Perreault (23rd in 2023), and led BC to a lot of hardware such as the Hockey East Championship.
There was uncertainty if Smith would head to the NHL this upcoming season as rumors have swirled around stating that he may want to return to try to win the National Championship, which he fell one game short of last season. However insider Sheng Peng has shared that Smith intends on signing his entry-level contract with the Sharks this offseason.
Multiple league sources have indicated to San Jose Hockey Now that Smith should sign with the Sharks this summer, forgoing his college eligibility.
In addition to Smith leaving the NCAA next season, it is expected that projected 2024 1st overall pick Macklin Celebrini will forgo his NCAA eligibility as well. Peng reports the following.
Celebrini is also expected, after the Sharks select him with the No. 1 pick next month, to forgo his college eligibility and make the jump to pro hockey.
The Sharks will have loads of young talent coming through in the coming years and the fact that they will be able to retain their top two players is quite encouraging for their longterm success.
Source - San Jose Hockey Now
SOURCES: Will Smith Expected To Sign With Sharks This Summer
| POLL | ||
Is Will Smith going to be a Calder finalist in his rookie year? | ||
| Yes | 43 | 44.3 % |
| No | 54 | 55.7 % |
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