Young Sharks Star Set to Return vs. Red Wings

The San Jose Sharks have been without one of their key players for quite some time.

After suffering a grueling upper-body injury after slamming into the boards back in December while facing the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sharks center Will Smith has been sidelined. At this point, he has missed 13 games, and although San Jose has done a fine job of picking up the pieces without him, his absence is noticeable on the ice.

Missing such a substantial number of games was, of course, not ideal for Smith, but it looks like his absence is finally coming to an end.

HERE WE GO 🤭

Will Smith's back tonight after missing the last 13 games! pic.twitter.com/KcenjoEUi3
— NHL (@NHL) January 16, 2026

According to recent reports, Smith is now gearing up for a return to the rink with his fellow Sharks.

Smith Returns to Lineup Tonight

Prior to his injury, the 20-year-old logged 12 goals and 17 assists for 20 points through 33 games. Since making his NHL debut during the 2024-25 season, Smith has continued developing into one of the core members of the franchise.

He wrapped up his first season in the league last year with 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points through 74 games, ultimately cementing himself as a key component in the Sharks' lineup. That campaign, he became the youngest United States-born player to score multiple goals in the same game since 2022, when Cole Sillinger completed the feat, and he became the youngest player in franchise history to do so since 1999. Patrick Marleau was the last player to do this on March 17, 1999.

Needless to say, having Smith on board once again is key to San Jose's success. He provides reliability and power on the ice that isn't easily replaced.

San Jose Sharks Center Will Smit — Dec 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Jose Sharks center Will Smith (2) against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Sharks are currently riding a 24-19-3 overall record, placing them at No. 8 in the Western Conference, just below the Seattle Kraken and Utah Mammoth but above the Los Angeles Kings. Since Smith has been out of commission, San Jose has lost five games, inevitably throwing them off track. Three of these losses came consecutively against the Dallas Stars, the Kraken and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Tonight, the Sharks face the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. EST, and this time, the star 20-year-old will be back in the lineup and ready to perform. Now, it would be reasonable to expect a minor adjustment period as he gets back into the swing of things, but the bar is still set quite high for Smith as he leads his team to victory once again.

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