What to Expect from Will Smith and Quentin Musty

San Jose Sharks No. 4 overall selection is headed to Boston College next season, but here is what fans can expect from the center.

"It's not hard to see the appeal with Smith. He's one of the draft's most gifted puck handlers, a human highlight reel almost every time he steps onto the ice. His ability to turn the mundane – like a pass reception on the breakout or a puck retrieval along the wall – into something special is really something to behold," -EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide.

Matvei Michkov was available for San Jose at No. 4, but Smith is not a bad pick. The potential for him to become an elite number-one center in the NHL is high.

Smith had 127 points (51 goals, 76 assists) in 60 games for the U18 U.S. National Development team last season. 

There is some thought that Smith might move to the wing due to the Sharks already having Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, but Director of Amateur Scouting Chris Morehouse debunked that.

"The kid has played center his whole life. He's a center. He was drafted as a center. Understandably, it happens a lot where kids that are drafted at center end up on the wing. I think Will Smith has every capability to be a big-time NHL center. I think between the organization, Mike [Grier], and himself, if it feels like the wing is a better option at some point [then okay]. It's hard to play center in the NHL at a young age. I think, as of right now, I would say he is an NHL center," Morehouse said.

There is no actual timeline on when the San Jose Sharks want Smith to be in the NHL, but Morehouse said that the player would dictate it based on his development.

"The player is going to dictate that. I think it's like anything else. We want the best version of Will Smith and whatever Will Smith needs to do in terms of development. In terms of comfort level. There's a whole lot more than just the hockey side of it that comes into play for me. We still have to remember these are 18-year-old kids. I think, at times, we all want these kids to be ready right away. We want to, in some way, show off our new toy and have them play. I think Will Smith will dictate when he's ready," Morehouse explained.

The one knock on Smith may have been his two-way game, but Morehouse stopped that theory as well.

"It's hard to really pick apart his two-way game because he has the puck all the time," Morehouse explained. "Every single kid taken in this draft has things they need to work on if they're going to be the best at what they are at the NHL level. I think Will Smith is a very, very, very smart player with a ton of skill and a ton of compete."

As for Quentin Musty, the Sharks got great value by picking him at No. 26 overall.

"He brings a little bit of everything to the table and does so in a projectable, imposing 6-foot- 2 frame. Better still, he's not shy about leveraging every part of it to dispossess opponents of the puck, wreak havoc along the boards and at the net front, and barrel down the wing off the rush. His vision is top-notch, and he's equipped with the cunning and passing skill necessary to connect with layered feeds around skates and sticks," -EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide.

Morehouse discussed drafting Musty on Wednesday.

"[Musty] has size, reach. He has skill. He can score goals. I think in the second half of the year; he took off a little bit in Sudbury. When you see him and meet him, he's a big boy. We're just thrilled to have that talent along with the size and the reach and also the ability to score," Morehouse said.

Musty had 78 points (26 goals, 52 assists) for the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League. He was also an alternate captain.

Musty was the number-one pick in the OHL Draft in 2021. Musty is expected at development camp next week. 

"My dad's a big fan [of Grier], growing up in Buffalo. I didn't get to watch a whole lot of him. From what I've seen and heard, he's a great guy and, obviously, changed my life today. So I appreciate that," Musty said after he was drafted.

Musty is considered to be one of the steals of the draft. His timeline is also not quickly figured out. The San Jose Sharks No. 26 pick is further away from the NHL than Smith but not by much. 

Much of what Morehouse said about Smith's timeline can also be said about Musty's. It will be up to how he plays back in the OHL and beyond. 

Musty could've also gone the same route as Smith last season by playing for the USNDP but decided to stay in Sudbury. This move could be considered to be the more challenging move, but Musty did it successfully.

The San Jose Sharks knocked their first-round picks out of the park. Smith may have been the "safe" option, but he is a phenomenal talent. Musty at No. 26 is excellent value, and he will have a massive upside in the NHL.