Will Smith
The top prospect out of the United States and potential top-5 pick
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 181 lbs.
Shoots: Right
Position: Center
Team: USNTDP
Nationality: USA
The Draft Prospectus Ranking: #5
Since many publications released their preliminary rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft, Will Smith has been one of the biggest risers since last year's early rankings.
Ranked 16th by TSN’s Craig Button and as an honorable mention by Bob McKenzie in their pre-season rankings, Smith has shot up the ranks on all major outlets' draft boards, touted as the top-ranked American prospect. Smith was the second leading scorer for the United States National Team Development Program (NTDP) with 127 points in his draft-eligible season - second all-time in single-season scoring for the NTDP behind only teammate Gabe Perreault.
Smith, committed to playing at Boston College next year, has played two seasons with the NTDP, finishing his season with the 17-year-old team as the third-leading scorer. His first season with the team seemingly gave him the experience and confidence to bring his game to a higher level.
“You better know where he is on the ice because if you don’t, chances are you’re about ready to get slayed.” -Craig Button, TSN
Invited to the USA camp for the 2023 World Junior Championship, Smith was among nine players cut before the start of the tournament. Illness kept Smith from participating in camp, never truly getting the fair opportunity to showcase his skill.
Named in December to the BioSteel All-American game, Smith played alongside the best draft-eligible players born in the US who compete in the USHL or for the NTDP.
Smith led the Blue Team to a 6-3 victory, tallying three points (two goals, one assist) as he was named game MVP. Though it wasn’t his best performance, Smith stood out among all 30 skaters named to the showcase.
In his last dance with the NTDP, Smith led Team USA to the Gold Medal at the U18 World Championships. He was named tournament MVP racking up 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists), second best all time, trailing only Nikita Kucherov’s 21 (11 goals, 10 assists) in 2011.
🥅 Elite vision and awareness set Smith apart from everyone else in this draft. Combined with his puck handling, he commands attention from the opposition. Once he has their attention, he begins to operate.
Smith finds teammates sticks in places he has no business finding them. He likes to attack the middle of the ice causing the defense to collapse. From there, he punishes defenders as they’ve forgotten about their responsibility due to the extra attention Smith commands.
Smith doesn’t have the most powerful shot, but he makes up for his lack of power with how deceptive he can be. Because he is such a good passer of the puck, goaltenders can be fooled into thinking he's looking to pass but will instead take the shot himself. This causes the goalie to react to the shot slower, opening holes within his stance.
While he’s agile and strong on his edges, Smith lacks separation speed. He is not slow by any means but is missing that extra gear. Instead of going past defenders, he prefers to go around them. Smith plays an East/West game and can forget to go North and South.
Not enough can be said about Smith’s puck handling. Among the best in the draft, Smith can weave his way in and out of opponents in the narrowest of spaces. A wizard with the puck, his hands are what can carry his play to the next level.
As Smith is bobbing and weaving through opponents, he can often forget to use his teammates. Too often, he gets caught making an extra move when he has already broken down the defense.
At the next level, defenders will be bigger and more intelligent. Plays he gets away with at the junior ranks will likely become odd-man rushes the other way in the AHL and NHL.
🏒 Like most of the other prospects in the top five, Smith struggles in the defensive end. He tends to coast on defense and is too slow getting back into his own end during the transition.
Once in his own zone, Smith gets caught puck-watching at times. He so badly wants to break out into the rush that he waits for his teammates to retrieve the puck and find him on the outlet.
If he hopes to play center at the next level, he’ll have to improve significantly on defense, or he’ll find himself on the bench more often than not.
📊 Smith finds himself in that next category of prospects behind Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, and Matvei Michkov, joining Leo Carlsson. Michkov falling in the draft could catapult Smith into the top four, likely being selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets or San Jose Sharks.
Assuming Michkov falls outside the top five, I can’t see Smith falling past the Sharks at No. 4. If Michkov is selected somewhere in the top four, I see the Montreal Canadiens running up to the stage to announce their selection of Smith.
Projected to play a top six role in the NHL, Smith may be more suited to play the wing. The defensive responsibilities he would have playing center would discourage him from being his creative best in the offensive zone.
If Smith were to go to San Jose, the Sharks have some vastly talented forwards in their prospect pool to play alongside - and if he were to go to Montreal, he’d be an incredible addition to a line with either Nick Suzuki or Cole Caufield.
He would likely flourish playing on the wing alongside a defensive minded center.
📈 📉 Rankings by Top Publications and Insiders
Sportsnet: 5
The lack of wheels is concerning along with the penchant for his coasting in his own end but that said if he can improve his skating this is the dark horse that could push Bedard as having the best career in this draft class.