The San Jose Sharks selected Will Smith with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of Wednesday’s NHL Draft in Nashville, Tennessee, taking what they hope will someday be the franchise’s future No. 1 centerman.
Smith, 18, is considered a game-breaking type of centerman who possesses terrific vision and hockey sense. He had 127 points in 60 games for the U.S. National under-18 team this past season and his skillset has drawn comparisons to Vancouver’s J.T. Miller and Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras.
Patrick Marleau, who recently rejoined the Sharks organization as a player development coach and hockey operations advisor, made the announcement at Bridgestone Arena.
