While the Sharks find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, San Jose is much closer to NHL playoff contention than their 15-37-9 record would indicate.
Despite a roster riddled with raw-but-promising talent, the Sharks have been shockingly competitive game-to-game, with 21 of San Jose's 35 losses coming by just one goal.
Among the young stars tasked with accelerating the Sharks' return to NHL prominence is rookie center Will Smith, who detailed how those one-loss goals have inspired confidence in San Jose moving forward during an exclusive interview with NBC Sports California's Alan Hoshida.
"100 percent. I mean we've beaten some of the best teams in the league," Smith told Hoshida. "Count how many games that we kind of let go in the third period when we've been up. So, it's been tough, but those are things we need to learn, how to finish out games. Countless amount of wins that we could have more in the standings right now, but something we have to learn."
Losing at this rate is something Smith hadn't been accustomed to, but the young star takes great pride in being a pivotal piece in returning the Sharks to prominence.
"I think it sucks, you don't like losing. My whole life I've been on teams where you're only losing a couple games a year," Smith told Hoshida. "It's something you got to put in the back of your brain and use as motivation. I think [Macklin Celebrini], myself, the whole team, we obviously take pride in this and we're doing it for the city and for the fans. I think coming into next year -- obviously 25 games left this year so we're going to worry about that -- but it's something we take pride in."
After being selected No. 4 overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, Smith figures to play a foundational role alongside Celebrini for years to come.
San Jose Sharks
While the results aren't there yet from a win/loss standpoint, the dedication these young stars have in turning the Sharks franchise around bodes well for San Jose's future.
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