The San Jose Sharks had a wild ride on Saturday night. The club rallied from a 5-1 third-period deficit to stun the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks pulled out a gritty 6-5 overtime win. The exciting finish, however, ended on a sour note.
The Sharks lost two forwards. First, San Jose lost Philipp Kurashev midway through the second period. Kurashev slid into the board, potentially leading to a lower-body injury.
But the biggest loss came in the third period with the Penguins’ Parker Wotherspoon leveling the Sharks’ Will Smith. The massive hit knocked Smith to the ice, forcing him to leave the game. He did not return.
Following the game, there was no update on either player. But it was Smith’s hit that drew the most attention. In particular, renowned physician, Dr. Harjas Grewal, offered his expert opinion on the Sharks forward’s potential injury:
The prognosis could be a separated shoulder. That situation could keep Smith out of the Sharks’ lineup on a week-to-week basis. The recovery time is much quicker for a separated shoulder than a broken collarbone.
The broken bone, of course, would be the worst-case scenario for the Sharks. Smith likely underwent further testing and evaluation on Sunday. Nevertheless, no further information has emerged at the time of this writing.
Losing Smith would be a major blow for the Sharks. The 20-year-old has 12 goals and 20 points in 33 games this season. He’s been a fixture with Macklin Celebrini as an exciting one-two punch for San Jose this season.
Smith on Pace to Surpass Last Season’s Totals
This season is Smith’s second full NHL campaign. The fourth overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft played his rookie season last year. In 74 games, he scored 18 goals and added 27 assists for 45 points with the Sharks.
The goal and point total were solid for a 19-year-old. This season, however, Smith is on pace to surpass his rookie year totals. Unfortunately, the injury could very well derail Smith’s chances at breaking past last year’s numbers.
If Smith doesn’t miss much time, he could pick up where he left off. In that case, he might still have a chance to get past the 20-goal mark. That achievement would be something special in a resurgent season for the Sharks.
No Pressure this Season for Sharks
Losing a player like Will Smith would prompt other teams to look for a replacement. But in the Sharks’ case, there’s no pressure this season. San Jose is not looking to make the playoffs. While getting there would be fantastic, that’s not the expectation this year.
So, losing Smith, even for an extended period, shouldn’t trigger Sharks’ GM Mike Grier to search for a replacement right away. If anything, Smith’s injury could open the door for someone else to get more playing time this season.
It’s worth pointing out that, if the Sharks are on track to make the postseason, Smith could be back just in time to support the team’s run.
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