Prospect Prospective: Daniil Gushchin's high skill level and high ceiling

We're back again for another edition of the Prospect Prospective. In this series, we take a look at a prospect who has yet to establish himself in the NHL. We’ll examine the reasons for this and what fantasy upside remains. 

What a sequence by Daniil Gushchin. He fends off defenders with his body, keeps the puck in front of him, shows off his skating, and scores on a bad angle. #OneReef pic.twitter.com/m64idR5CUq

— Fantasy Hockey Doctor - Victor Nuño (@VictorNuno12) November 18, 2023

In this installment, we will be looking at Daniil Gushchin who was selected in 2020 with a third-round pick (76th overall) by the San Jose Sharks. The EP Rinkside team ranked Gushchin as the 39th forward in that draft so getting him at 76 represents massive value for the Sharks. That season, the team noted he had some of the best small-ice puck skills in the game. He was committed defensively, not just to the offensive side of the puck. At only 5-foot-8 and 161 pounds that season, he would have had to present some pretty special skills for the team to be that high on hi