San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith has been on a specific development plan this season and has yet to play on back-to-back nights, but tonight, that will change.

San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith has been on a specific development plan this season and has yet to play on back-to-back nights, but tonight, that will change.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky confirmed that Smith will be in the lineup and said the decision was made during the summer when his plan was created.

"This is part of his development plan. He's slated to play this game, so he's playing tonight," Warsofsky said. "This decision was made throughout the summer of what the schedule is going to be. We took in everything: time zones, flights, games played. It's not just we just pick this and make the decision. There's a lot of conversations that went on through the summer and through training camp of why we picked this game."

Warsofsky emphasized that although Smith has scored six points in the last three games, his recent hot streak didn't affect the decision. The bench boss explained the goal of Smith's development days.

"The schedule has been heavy here since the beginning of the year. He's playing a lot of games. He's playing a game then he's practicing, which he hasn't done a lot in his career, coming from the college schedule," Warsofsky said. "I think early on, when he wasn't getting the points when he wasn't scoring, [there] was a lot of skill work involved of getting himself into positions to score and getting his confidence up to play with the puck. I think it's been really beneficial for him."

Smith was also moved to the wing, which has freed him up to cut across the middle of the ice in a more offensive position rather than trying to go the entire length through the middle. 

Mikael Granlund and Klim Kostin were the rookie's linemates in the last game, and each scored. Warsofsky said one player is a game-time decision but didn't reveal who. Mackenzie Blackwood will start in goal, and the Sharks' line combinations should be similar to yesterday's.

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