Sharks’ Deadline to Lock in Smith | NHL News

0:00It's September 12th. This is NHL News Today, powered by AI Everything Happening With Your Team. I'm Corey with the Story. Alright, let's talk about a deadline that's got the San Jose Sharks front office in a bit of a bind this weekend. It's not about trades or signing bonuses, but a specific date in the NHL's new agreement. General Manager Mike Greer has a very tight window to make a decision about a player named Will Smith, and this move could really set the tone for the franchise for the next decade. The key thing here is the length of a potential contract extension. See before Monday, September 15th, teams can offer players up to 8 years on a new deal. But once that date passes, the maximum term drops to 7 years. That one extra year might not sound like much. Before a player like Smith, who's looking like a cornerstone for the sharks, it means locking him in. For an additional prime season, at today's rates, before the salary cap potentially goes up. This development has been pretty impressive.

1:00Drafted fourth overall, he really stepped up his game last season, putting up 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points in. 69 gains. More importantly, he started driving play more effectively, not just in the offensive zone, but through the neutral zone too. That kind of growth is exactly what you want to see before committing to a long-term deal, especially since he could potentially shift back to center. Or continue his upward trajectory. Now the money part gets tricky. While his teammate, Macklin Celebreening, got a big deal as a potential generational center. Smith's numbers put him in a different category. Analysts are talking about deals ranging from 5 years, at around $10.5 million annually to an 8-year commitment closer to $12.5 million. The tension is that an 8-year deal benefits the sharks by securing that extra year. But Smith might prefer a shorter term to hit free agency again. When the cap is higher, and his game is even more developed, Greer has to navigate this

2:01before Monday. While they aren't at risk of losing Smith, letting that 8-year window close means losing out on a year of cost-control production. Getting him signed before the window narrows would solidify the plan of building around him and Celebreeni. There are just a few days left to make it official, and this opportunity for an 8-year term won't come around again.