"All of them have had development blocks and speed bumps and getting through that, and mentally getting through it, is a challenge," Warsofsky said. "I'm sure [Smith will] look back on this, whether that's in 20 games or in 60 games, or whatever it might be, and probably be happy that he went through it, because it's a good learning moment."
"You can look at his face and you can see it. He's got low confidence for the first time, probably, in his hockey life," Warsofsky said. "We're not just going to leave him on an island. We got to help him. We got to work with him."
For what it's worth, Smith has enjoyed clear highs this season and according to multiple NHL scouts, none with the Sharks, Smith is a better player than he was in October, so he is developing. He's just in a rut - which he has gotten out of before this season.
Mikael Granlund, the No. 9 pick in the 2010 Draft, went through similar struggles when he came over from Finland as a much-hyped 20-year-old in 2012-13, saying of his fellow playmaker, 'He's already grown a lot throughout the season. He's only gonna get better.'
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