Sharks expected to sign 2023 No. 4 overall pick to ELC this summer

Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports that San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith is expected to sign with the team this summer, a move that would make him eligible to make the jump to the NHL next year.

Smith was the Sharks first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2023 and would forgo his remaining college eligibility after just one season with Boston College. The 19-year-old was dominant in his first year in the NCAA, posting 25 goals and 46 assists in just 41 games.

Smith was a huge part of Team USA’s gold medal-winning team at the 2024 World Junior Championships, registering four goals and five assists in seven games. He also just appeared for Team USA at the World Championships and dressed in five games, going scoreless.

Smith has been dominant the past few seasons. In 2022-23 he was a member of the U.S. National U18 Team and was an absolute force alongside Gabe Perreault, tallying 51 goals and 76 assists in 60 games. That same year he represented Team USA at the U18 World Championship and had an excellent tournament, scoring nine goals and adding 11 helpers in just seven games.

During exit interviews at the end of the season, Sharks general manager Mike Grier told the media that he felt Smith was ready to make the jump to the NHL and that he was having positive conversations with Smith’s agent, per Max Miller of The Hockey News. Now it appears that his signing will happen in the not too distant future.