Will Smith was taken fourth overall and is now, officially, an NHL player. While it's taken some time to come into his own, Smith's game appears to be growing. There's reason to hope, too. Smith excelled in his first year post-draft. He helped Boston College to the NCAA National Championship game. While BC lost the game, Smith was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament team. He finished the season with 71 points in 41 games.
In his first season post-draft, Quentin Musty broke the 100-point mark with the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL during the regular season. He finished with 102 points in 53 games. His team made it to the playoffs and won its first round before being eliminated in the second round by the North Bay Battalion. Musty had 10 points in 8 playoff games. He appeared to be on pace for another impressive season this year until he fractured his hand.
With such promising performances from Will Smith and Quentin Musty, the outlook for the Sharks' 2023 draft class is shaping up to potentially be one of the best in the franchise's history. Although we cannot predict the future of these players completely, the early signs are highly encouraging.
The Sharks' history includes significant homegrown talents like Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau, but it’s not always common for an entire draft class to yield noticeable NHL players. The prospect pool is going to be critical for the team's future success.
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