Of all the prospects on this year’s list, San Jose Sharks 2020 draftee Danil Gushchin is perhaps one of the most intriguing. He didn’t move up the list, but he didn’t move down either. Even with the addition of players like Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson and Yaroslav Askarhov, Gushchin managed to hold steady at 14th overall.
Position: Right Wing
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 165 lbs.
Age: 22
Date of Birth: February 6, 2002
Draft Year: 2020 (76th overall by the San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Left
2023-24 Team: San Jose Barracuda (AHL)/San Jose Sharks (NHL)
In his second full season with the San Jose Barracuda, Gushchin did exactly what you want from a young prospect — he took a step forward. The 22-year-old scored 54 points (20 G, 34 A) in 56 games last season a solid improvement over his points per game total from 2022-23. Gushchin went from 0.67 points per game in the 2022-23 season to 0.96 points per game this past season.
As a result of his consistent play, Gushchin was named to the AHL All-Star game, though he was injured and could not play. He was also called up to the Sharks on two occasions. Gushchin played two games in November and two games in April. He had a goal and an assist over those four games and averaged 15:55 of total ice time per game.
What we like
Dobber Prospects has one of the better quick summations of Gushchin’s game.
“An extremely skilled, high octane winger who plays on the attack. His hands are absolutely ridiculous at times, allowing him to create space and make plays,” wrote Tony Ferrari of Dobber Prospects.
Gushchin plays with speed and energy. Last season, he brought a “spark” to the Barracuda’s “anemic” offense as our own Lakshya Jain wrote.
“He’s got an excellent buzz to his game, is solid in transition, harries the opposition on the backcheck, and has a surprising amount of offensive skill,” wrote Jain.
Areas of improvement
While he has the skill set that will help him succeed in the NHL, the one problem for Gushchin may be his size. He’s 5-foot-10 on a good day, and given his age, 22, he’s not likely to grow much more, if at all. Smaller forwards like Gushchin need to be exceptional in their offensive play. We’re not quite sure if Gushchin will ever be able to rise to that level to be a consistent, long-term NHL player.
Still, Gushchin isn’t giving up, and he shouldn’t. He has a good chance of playing NHL games this season. He told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now that he’s going to work on his shot and play without the puck in the offseason.
Scouts told San Jose Hockey Now that Gushchin should also work on his “quickness and strength.”
What’s next for Gushchin?
The big question this season will be where does Gushchin play in 2024-25. There was a rumor circulating in April that the forward was headed back to Russia to play for CSKA. Peng put that rumor to rest soon after, with Gushchin himself saying that wasn’t the case.
That said, if Gushchin does not make the Sharks out of training camp, there might be a discussion. This will be his third season with the Barracuda, and he seems anxious about finding his way to the NHL. If the forward doesn’t make the team right out of training camp, he will likely be one of the first call-ups in the event of injury.
Highlights
This first clip shows Gushchin’s continued compete. During the April 15 game against the Edmonton Oilers, Gushchin battled through the defense to follow the puck to the net and then beat the goaltender with a quick shot that caught him unaware.
Daniil Gushchin gets the #SJSharks on the board!
— JD Young (@MyFryHole) April 16, 2024
4-1 pic.twitter.com/VAjtoQtRWi
This goal on the power play with the Barracuda shows Gushchin’s ability to pick spots on the net.
Can’t contain the All-Star!🤩Absolute snipe from Gushchin! pic.twitter.com/xwHNiork9v
— SJ Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) January 25, 2024