I’m really excited about Smith because — and I’ve posted this a hundred times before so I apologize for repeating myself — the Sharks have never had a player like him. I’ve wanted us to have a highlight reel machine guy who can deke through the other team and take you out of your seats with how he plays — Smith has that potential.
And don’t get me wrong, Joe Thornton was obviously a treat to watch, so was Marleau, so were a lot of guys we’ve had over the years, but they were just different, very Sharky-type of players (big, strong, dominating in the corners, etc.). I’m thrilled to have this kind of guy in our roster.
For what it’s worth, I think Eklund is a really, really smart defensive player and it’s possible that putting him on Smith’s wing will help balance a line out — but that depends on how they both develop.
Eklund - Smith - Musty would be insanely fun to watch.