Givani Smith was placed on waivers by the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, indicating the forward will not be back with the team unless there are a series of injuries that prevent the Sharks from playing younger players . Smith has played just six games with the Sharks this season, averaging 6:17 of ice time per game. He has moved further and further down the Sharks’ rankings as the young players increasingly make a case for moving up.

This seemed to come to a head in late November when strikers Barclay Goodrow and Nico Sturm suffered injuries. The team’s management decided to call up Ethan Cardwell from the San Jose Barracuda and add him to the lineup instead of using Smith. Cardwell, who has averaged 11:32 minutes of ice time per game with the Sharks this season, has proven to be a better backup player than Smith, giving the Sharks a reliable forward who can play more minutes per game.

With Goodrow back in the fold and close to coming off injured reserve, as well as a reliable Cardwell sharing the 13th man role with one of the team’s other veterans, the signs are clear for Smith. However, I would argue that the impetus for placing Smith on waivers also stems from the semi-resurgence of another player, Klim Kostin.

Why the Kostin-Smith fight is important

Kostin and Smith alternated in the role of the Sharks’ 13th man for the first 15 to 20 games of the season. While the coaching staff preferred to go with the younger player in Kostin, Smith was an option on any given night. A large part of that was due to how Kostin played through the first 10-15 games of the season.

This was Kostin’s Regulated Plus-Minus Chart (RAPM) from Evolving Hockey as of November 27, 2024.

Around the time of the game against the Ottawa Senators, I started toying with the idea of ​​writing an article comparing Smith and Kostin. Before the game against the Senators, Kostin had zero points in 12 games and had only exceeded the 12-minute mark in ice time once.

Smith, on the other hand, had played fewer games than Kostin. Although neither player scored a goal, Smith was significantly more responsible than Kostin in the expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) category. Below is Smith’s RAPM chart from November 27th. He hasn’t played a game since.

As you can see, both players were close in the offensive categories on November 27th, but Smith was immensely more responsible on the defensive side of the puck. His expected goals per 60 minutes were closer to league average. Admittedly, Smith received protected minutes, but so did Kostin.

However, Kostin seemed to be regaining his footing since the game against Ottawa. He had a three-game point streak in which he scored one goal and three assists. The added offense, albeit slightly, gave Kostin the advantage and helped management decide he was the better option for the Sharks’ 13th man.

If you look at Kostin’s RAPM for the season, with games after November. Taking 27 into account, you can see that Kostin is now a much more offensive player at the same strength than he was before this date.

While Kostin is improving significantly on offense, he is still lacking on defense.

What does this mean for Givani Smith in the long term?

Kostin’s ability to drive the offense where Smith couldn’t bodes well for Smith.

Placing a player like the veteran forward on waivers is a definite statement, especially on a team like the Sharks that is trying to incorporate more young guys into their lineup. Smith isn’t the type of player you can move up and down with ease, especially when there are younger players like Cardwell and defenseman Jack Thompson who are exempt and can move between the Sharks and Barracuda without the required waiver transactions .

Placing a player like Smith on waivers means the Sharks believe he no longer provides value to the rebuilding team. Smith was expected to sit for most of the season, but the fact that the team believes he can’t even fill that role shows that his time with the Sharks at the NHL level is over.

What does this mean for the San Jose Sharks’ rebuild?

Placing Smith on waivers is good news for Sharks fans. That means management believes players like Cardwell and perhaps even Collin Graf or Danil Gushchin are ready to be added to the lineup permanently. Remember, Thomas Bordeleau is still with the Barracuda and has NHL experience.

The Sharks have younger, more experienced options than Smith. These players have shown enough improvement or preparation at the AHL level that they appear ready for the highest level of hockey.

This is the next step in the rebuild, replacing less experienced veteran players with younger, more experienced players. It’s coming exactly according to plan and that should make Sharks fans happy.