The San Jose Sharks have officially been eliminated from playoff contention, which is certainly not the result that Sharks fans had hoped for. That said, there are still some positives to take away from this season, especially when you look at the progress and improvement this year’s crop of rookies have made. While Macklin Celebrini is getting a lot of the headlines, and deservedly so, players like 22-year-old Collin Graf and 20-year-old Will Smith are also experiencing and enjoying their first seasons as professional hockey players.
Both natives of Massachusetts, Graf and Smith have been two of the more impactful players on the ice for the Sharks in the past few games. Graf has three goals in the Sharks’ last three games and scored the game-winning goal on Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.
With two goals in last nights game against the Blackhawks, Sharks forward and @QU_MIH alum Collin Graf has five points in his last five games.
— Ava Heaton (@avheaton) March 14, 2025
Graf now has nine points on the season with four goals and five assists. @Q30Sports | #ECACHockey | #TheFutureIsTeal https://t.co/u3W0H3xDG2
Meanwhile, Smith has been described as a “human highlight reel” on the ice. In his rookie NHL season, he has played in 60 games, scoring 13 goals and adding 22 assists for a total of 35 points. His contributions have been pivotal to the Sharks’ performance, including a key goal in Thursday’s game against the Blackhawks.
Sick
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 14, 2025
Smitty
Snipe
👌 pic.twitter.com/hBTNuyGCvh
Both Graf and Smith were standouts in college hockey last season. They were both 2024 Hobey Baker finalists, among the ten players considered the best in college hockey. Graf was on the ECAC First All-Star Team in both 2023 and 2024, while Smith led NCAA Division I players with 71 points in the 2023-24 season.
But the transition from college hockey to the professional level is tough. It’s especially difficult when you’re asked to play against the best players in the world night in and night out, and those players have years of experience. Despite the challenges, both Graf and Smith have handled the move to the NHL well.
For Graf, getting his feet wet with the Barracuda was a huge help in aiding his move to the NHL.
“It’s obviously a big difference in professional hockey, the amount of games you play, stuff like that. So I’d say, the first half of the year with the ‘Cuda, [I] really thought it was a good intro to pro hockey, for sure,” said Graf. “There are a lot of things that I was able to work on and get better at and things that I had to get better at before I was able to try to make the jump. I think that since I went down after that first call-up and came back, I think that I’ve really started to improve my game in some different spots.”
The biggest adaptation for him was dealing with the speed at the NHL level.
“I’d say the first one that always comes to mind is just how much faster it is. There’s way less time to react. So that’s probably the biggest thing, and it’s sort of hard to recreate it until you’re actually in the game and just getting those reps and reacting,” Graf said.
As for Smith, the benefit of moving from college hockey to the professional level is something a lot of students can relate to. He was pretty straightforward about the perks of going pro.
“Playing a lot more games and … no school,” said Smith with a laugh.
On and off the ice, both players are adjusting to an entirely different lifestyle.
“I say it’s just different, because everyone in college is somewhat your age, and your guys have families and wives, so different with that. But yeah, that’s probably the biggest surprise,” said Smith.
And while both players look like they have long careers ahead of them, you only get that first experience once. This season has been filled with firsts and memories for both players, including some favorite visits.
“As a Boston guy, it sort of hurts me to say, but Montreal was awesome. I thought Montreal was a great city,” said Graf. “We had a we had a day off there, so I was able to explore a bit and go around. I missed the snow, too, so that was good.
“I would say the game in Boston was super special, just having a lot of family there, and obviously being a Bruins fan growing up was super cool,” Graf reminisced. “That was my first time ever playing TD Garden, too. So that was probably my favorite game so far.”
For Smith, the trip to the Windy City was a highlight.
“I liked Chicago. I have a lot of family there; always been one of my favorite cities,” said Smith.
And, of course, playing against some of the greatest players to ever take the ice, like Alexander Ovechkin on Saturday, will never be forgotten.
“It was pretty crazy. Guys like him and Crosby. Guys I have been looking forward to playing against. And you never know if it could be their last year so, yeah just crazy,” said Smith.
Both Graf and Smith represent the bright future of the San Jose Sharks. Together, these young stars bring an exciting blend of talent, determination and versatility to the Sharks. With their continued development and rising impact, it’s clear that San Jose’s future is in very capable hands. The future of the Sharks looks incredibly promising with these two, and very teal.
