Will Smith's next step in his hockey journey will take him to San Jose.
The Sharks announced on Tuesday that the Lexington, Mass., native signed his entry-level deal with them. He was drafted fourth overall by the Sharks in last June's NHL Draft.
This news is no surprise.
Smith had one of the best freshman seasons in recent college hockey history. His 71 points led the nation and were the most by a freshman since Kyle Connor posted the same number with Michigan in 2015-16.
Smith centered the best line in the country as well, playing between Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) and Gabe Perreault. Both Leonard and Perreault were first-round picks last year, too. Leonard finished with 31 goals (third in the nation) and 60 points (tied for fourth), while Perreault also posted 60 points.
Somehow, despite leading the nation in points and being a big reason why his team was the No. 1 seed entering the NCAA Tournament, Smith wasn't a Hobey Baker finalist.
One of Smith's best performances was scoring four goals and tallying an assist against Boston University in the Hockey East championship game.
In the lead-up to the national championship, Smith tallied two goals and two assists over the three games before the Eagles were shutout, 2-0, by Denver in the final.
Locally, Smith was a star for the Boston Jr. Eagles before playing one season with St. Sebastian's. After that, it was off to the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he was a headliner on the team for two seasons.
So, how is this situation he's stepping into in San Jose?
The Sharks are coming off being the worst team in the NHL this past season, going 19-54-9. They also don't have a head coach since they fired David Quinn (Cranston, R.I.) after two seasons.
While Smith won't have Leonard and Perreault on his right and left, there is some good news.
The Sharks won the NHL Draft lottery, which means they are likely to take Boston University center and Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick. If Celebrini opts to go straight to the NHL, the Sharks should have their No. 1 and 2 centers for the foreseeable future. Both players would benefit from that, at least to start.
MASS. HOCKEY FESTIVAL SELECTIONS: 17 picked for Select 15 Camp | 15 picked for Select 16 Camp | 15 picked for Select 17 Camp
Smith will go from being a top player on one of the best teams in college hockey to being a top player on the worst team in the NHL.
It will surely be a challenge, but one the local star has proved ready to face.
