does will smith hockey deserve to be on the sharks' top line?
every time i open social media, i see mack, cherny, misa and mckenna and so many other young players grinding. ofc they've had vacations too, but throughout the summer you've still seen clips of them skating, training with different groups and working on their game. one of the things i've admired most about mack this offseason is how impossible it's been to ignore how seriously he's taking his development.
he barely had any time off before heading to the olympics, and since then he's spent the entire summer training with different players. every new video that comes out he somehow looks even faster than before. it's obvious he's treating this offseason as an opportunity to come back better.
obviously, i don't know what happens behind closed doors, but as a fan, perception matters. if all i ever see is everyone else putting in the work while one of our top-line wingers looks like he's starring in a vacation movie, it's hard not to wonder if he's approaching this offseason with the same sense of urgency.
i like will. i want him to succeed. but i also want the sharks to be competitive and i don't think anyone should keep a spot on the top line just because it's comfortable or because the chemistry is already there. i want players who make that spot impossible to take away.
i genuinely hope training camp proves me completely wrong. nothing would make me happier than seeing will come back looking like a completely different player. i want this team competing for a playoff spot and, eventually, for the stanley cup. that means everyone has to keep getting better.
but right now, it feels like i'm watching every talented young player who could realistically compete for will's spot push themselves and work harder, while i just... don't get that same impression from him. maybe i'm wrong. maybe he's putting in a ton of work privately and we just don't see it. honestly hope that's the case.
but perception matters too. last season, i gave him a lot of grace. we all know he had more rough games than good ones, even if he showed plenty of flashes of why so many people believe in his potential. but how long do we keep making excuses just because we like him?
what worries me now is the possibility that the urgency just isn't there. i don't want someone playing next to mack just because they're friends or because the chemistry is comfortable. i want someone who forces the coaching staff to keep him there because he's clearly becoming a better player.
mack has spent months looking like he's preparing for a huge sophomore leap. can will realistically match that level by the time training camp opens? honestly, i don't know, and that's what makes me nervous.
i really hope he proves me wrong, because nothing would make me happier than seeing both of them take a huge step forward together. at the end of the day, that's what i'm rooting for as a sharks fan.
