Oct 30, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Will Smith (2) pursues the puck in the third period against the New Jersey Devils at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Sharks Forward Dominating in Breakout Season

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Nov 7, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The San Jose Sharks are showing signs of progress to begin the 2025-2026 season. Just one game below .500 through their first 14 games, it’s not all doom and gloom in San Jose.

The Sharks’ are led by rising superstar Macklin Celebrini, but he’s just one half of the organization’s budding dynamic duo. The other half of that is fellow second-year forward Will Smith, who is having an outstanding start to his sophomore campaign.

As a rookie, Smith was solid, but there was room to grow. Playing in 74 games, he recorded 18 goals and added 27 assists for 45 points.

Year two is a completely different story so far for Smith. He has five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 14 games, putting him on pace for a 76-point season over an 82-game regular season.

200-Foot Game

The scouting report on Will Smith when the Sharks selected him fourth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft was that he was a complete player. He was a player who could play in all situations and be the most reliable player on the ice at any given time.

As a rookie, Smith struggled to be a 200-foot player, but that issue is long gone. The Sharks are still being outscored and out-chanced at many points, but Smith’s defensive presence has significantly improved. He has an extremely active stick in the defensive zone and he’s combining that with his intelligence to anticipate passes and create turnovers.

And so often, defense spurs offense, and Smith is a prime example of that so far. When he or his line is able to create a turnover, the damage is imminent. He has the speed and the puck skills to make the opposition pay in the offensive zone.

Dynamic Duo

With Smith’s rise, he and Celebrini are forming a dynamic duo that the organization envisioned when they took Celebrini in the 2024 NHL Draft. The two are getting plenty of even-strength ice time together, and the offense is producing.

In addition to Smith’s 13 points, Celebrini has exploded offensively. He has eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points so far, tied for first in the NHL to begin the season.

That type of offense from these two young phenoms has the entire organization gaining optimism quickly. The Sharks are a team slowly rising, but this progress is an exciting marker for the franchise. To take the next step, they need new leaders to emerge and drag them further. As Smith’s sophomore season looks almost as impressive as Celebrini’s, it’s clear that the Sharks have that duo who can guide them back to being a winning organization.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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