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Daniil Gushchin

Sharks Notes: Eklund, Bordeleau, Gushchin, Poturalski

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Sharks winger William Eklund is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st and it appears that the team would like to get something done quickly.  GM Mike Grier told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that he recently met with Eklund’s agent to get an early sense of what the asking price might be on a new agreement.  Speculatively, that would be a long-term agreement as early extensions are rarely short-term bridge pacts although Grier said all options are on the table this early in the process.  The 22-year-old set career highs in goals (17), assists (41), and points (58) this season while finishing second in team scoring to Calder Trophy finalist Macklin Celebrini.  With the salary cap set to spike, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a long-term extension surpass the $8MM mark per season.

More from San Jose:

  • Center Thomas Bordeleau told reporters including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link) that he has been dealing with a concussion and wasn’t particularly close to returning had the AHL’s Barracuda been able to go on a long playoff run. The 23-year-old played in 59 games in the minors this season, notching 14 goals and 24 assists as he heads to restricted free agency for the first time this summer.
  • Bordeleau also spoke about his status in the organization, voicing some frustration to reporters including Pashelka (Twitter link) about how the last couple of years have gone, saying that the message changed. It wasn’t long ago that it looked like he was on the verge of being a full-timer with the Sharks but instead, he played in just one game with the big club this season after getting into 27 in 2023-24.
  • Winger Daniil Gushchin is also set to be a restricted free agent this summer. Despite a strong year with the Barracuda that saw him pot 27 goals and 21 assists in 54 games, he only saw a dozen games with the Sharks, leading to some frustration earlier in the year as well.  Although there has been some speculation that he’d like to return to Russia, Peng relays that the 23-year-old’s intention is to remain in North America.  A three-time 20-goal scorer in the minors, it feels like Gushchin will be in tough to crack a full-time spot with the Sharks, especially if Grier goes out and adds some pieces this summer.
  • In that same column, another player who voiced some frustration about his usage this season was Andrew Poturalski. The 31-year-old led the AHL in scoring this season with 73 points, earning his first career MVP award but that only got him three games with the Sharks, a decision he said he doesn’t agree with.  Signed for one more year, there has been speculation that Poturalski could look to go to the KHL next season over remaining in the minors but the two sides would need to reach a mutual contract termination first before that could happen.

Sharks Notes: Celebrini, Mukhamadullin, Gushchin, Schuldt, Carlsson

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Sharks center Macklin Celebrini will suit up for Canada at the upcoming World Championship, reports Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest.  The rookie was actually originally named to the squad last year but ultimately didn’t play.  The number one pick last year, Celebrini had an impressive rookie campaign, tallying 25 goals and 38 assists in 70 games to lead San Jose in scoring, five points ahead of William Eklund, who will play for the host Swedes.  Meanwhile, Miller adds that it’s unclear if their other top rookie, Will Smith, will play for Team USA at the event.  Smith was fourth on the Sharks in scoring with 45 points in 74 games.

More from San Jose:

  • Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin underwent successful shoulder surgery and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, relays Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 23-year-old suited up for 30 games with the Sharks this season, collecting nine points and 51 blocked shots while averaging a little over 18 minutes a night of playing time.  Mukhamadullin also had nine assists in 21 games with the AHL’s Barracuda.  He’s expected to push for a full-time lineup spot next season.
  • The team announced (Twitter links) that they’ve assigned forward Daniil Gushchin and defensemen Jimmy Schuldt and Lucas Carlsson to AHL San Jose. Gushchin got into a dozen games with the Sharks this season, notching just one assist.  Meanwhile, Carlsson had a goal and three assists in 13 games while Schuldt was held off the scoresheet in his eight outings, his first NHL action since late in the 2018-19 campaign.  The Barracuda recently clinched a playoff spot and will certainly be happy to have one of their top scorers and two of their better blueliners back for the postseason.

Sharks Recall Daniil Gushchin, Luca Cagnoni, Jimmy Schuldt

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Call it even more of a youth movement for the Sharks. They’ve recalled winger Daniil Gushchin and defensemen Luca Cagnoni and Jimmy Schuldt from AHL San Jose ahead of their final two games of the season, per a team announcement.

The promotions for the youngsters and the veteran Schuldt come amid a late-season rash of injuries. They’ll likely be dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen tonight against the Canucks after recent call-up Thomas Bordeleau sustained an undisclosed injury last night against the Flames, per Max Miller of The Hockey News. The 23-year-old, who was making his season debut, joins a long list of injured Sharks that also includes Klim Kostin, Cameron Lund, and Zack Ostapchuk on offense and Vincent Desharnais, Mario Ferraro, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Jack Thompson on the back end.

San Jose’s wave of late-season injuries poses a challenge, but the team will find a silver lining in their chance to ice more up-and-coming talents. Gushchin should immediately fill in Bordeleau’s role in the team’s bottom-six, giving the Russian standout a chance to find his first NHL goal of the season. Gushchin made the Sharks roster out of training camp but was quickly assigned to the minors after netting just one assist in 10 games. He quickly returned to the world of top-AHL scoring with the Barracuda, ultimately recording 27 goals and 48 points in 54 games on the season.

Those numbers rank Gushchin second on the team’s offense in goals and points. It’s an ever-so-slight downtick from the 54 points he scored last season, though that total also ranked Gushchin second on the Barracuda’s offense. He’s managed at least 40 points in each of the last three AHL seasons – the first of his pro career – but has struggled to translate that scoring to the top flight. Through 16 career appearances in the NHL, Gushchin has just two goals and five points. This recall will mark a chance for Gushchin to buck his low-scoring trend before the Sharks’ season comes to an end.

Meanwhile, Cagnoni and Schuldt will once again battle for minutes on the Sharks’ blue-line. The pair have both seen routine call-ups this season and offer very different skillsets. Cagnoni led all AHL rookie defensemen in scoring this sesaon with a proud 49 points in 62 games. He’s a dominant puck-mover and playmaker, but only managed one assist in the first five games of his NHL career earlier this season. Schuldt – the captain of the Barracuda – is much more a stay-at-home, physical defenseman. That point is made evident by his 21 points in 62 AHL games, and no points in six NHL games, this season. Schuldt has become a top defensive-defenseman at the minor-league level, and held onto strong lineup roles through stints with five different AHL clubs over the last six seasons. Both Cagnoni and Schuldt are expected to step into the lineup for San Jose’s final games, giving both players a chance to chase the first goal of their NHL careers.

Sharks Activate Macklin Celebrini, Ty Dellandrea From IR

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Nov. 5: As expected, Cardwell and Gushchin have been sent down to make way for Celebrini’s and Dellandrea’s activations, head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Pashelka. The Sharks organization later confirmed that Celebrini and Dellandrea have been activated for tonight’s contest.

Nov. 4: Sharks forwards Macklin Celebrini and Ty Dellandrea will make their returns to the lineup tomorrow against the Blue Jackets, they each told reporters today, including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. They’ll need to come off injured reserve, meaning the Sharks will have to open up a pair of roster spots in short order.

Celebrini, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, has missed all but San Jose’s season opener with a lower-body injury. The 18-year-old told Pashelka that he sustained it on his first shift, but he still managed to record a goal and an assist in 17:35 of ice time against the Blues. After a 12-game absence, he’ll likely be back centering their first line between William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli. That would leave Mikael Granlund and his team-leading 14 points in 13 games in a second-line role, greatly improving the Sharks’ scoring depth.

After an initial bleak stretch without Celebrini, the Sharks have turned things around – somewhat. They still sit last in the league with a 3-8-2 record, but they’ve won three out of their last four games and have outscored opponents 14-11 during that stretch. It’s certainly a step in the right direction for a club that recently became the first in NHL history to start back-to-back seasons with nine-game losing streaks.

They’ll also have Dellandrea available against Columbus. The 24-year-old had a goal in nine games after being acquired from the Stars over the offseason but sustained a hand injury against the Golden Knights over a week ago. He’s back after missing four contests with the injury, and he’ll almost surely slot back in after playing a season-high 15:13 against the Kings on Oct. 24, his last fully healthy game.

The Sharks have three likely candidates who are waiver-exempt to head to the minors to make room for the duo – forwards Ethan Cardwell, Daniil Gushchin, and defenseman Jack Thompson. San Jose has carried 15 forwards and six defenders at points this season, so they may opt to send down Thompson to get back to that formation, although that’s unlikely given he’s currently ninth on the team in scoring with three assists in six games. Gushchin has just one assist in 10 appearances after cracking the opening night roster, while Cardwell has no points and a -2 rating in three appearances since being called up to replace Dellandrea.

Pacific Notes: Sharks Roster, Sharks Injuries, Karlsson

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The San Jose Sharks have collectively cut 12 players from their training camp roster today bringing their total bodies down to 38. In an earlier article, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News broke down some of the remaining camp battles on the roster with three games remaining in the preseason.

The organization’s forward core appears locked up with the remaining battles set to determine the 13th and 14th forwards on the opening night roster. Pashelka argues that forward Klim Kostin has already earned himself a spot for the regular season as the team would like to avoid putting him on waivers. The final spot remains a big question for San Jose. Will the team opt for an enforcer like Givani Smith to protect the youngsters when needed or look to add more available talent in Ethan Cardwell or Daniil Gushchin? Guschin likely has the inside edge if the team chooses the latter after scoring 20 goals and 54 points in 56 games for AHL San Jose last year.

The Sharks have a bigger question on defense with notable injuries to start the year (more on that later). Jack Thompson, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning and debuting last season, should be the odds-on-favorite for the seventh defenseman position by the end of training camp. Pashelka warns that even if Thompson represents the youngster with the most professional experience up to this point he still needs to play most nights rather than sit as a healthy scratch if he does make the roster.

Other Pacific notes:

  • Pashelka gave a few updates on the injured members of the Sharks’ defensive core earlier today. He shares that defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Shakir Mukhamadullin skated today and are still considered day-to-day. Still, their regular season opener availability is questionable. Circumstances appear to be different between the pipes with Pashelka also sharing that Yaroslav Askarov practiced with the team “for a little bit” today. Askarov has not practiced with the team once since the start of training camp a few weeks ago and his presence on the ice is a positive development.
  • Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson was not on the ice for practice again today and there appears to be a growing concern he may not be ready for opening night (X Link). It’s been over a week since he took the ice but the organization remains hopeful he will be healthy for the team’s regular-season opener on October 9th. Karlsson is set to be the second-line center for the Golden Knights this season although Nicolas Roy has been filling that void in the lineup for the last week.

Sharks Recall Daniil Gushchin, Jack Thompson, Georgi Romanov

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Daniil Gushchin, defenseman Jack Thompson, and goaltender Georgi Romanov for the final two games of the season (Twitter link). These moves come after San Jose officially clinched last place in the league yesterday, following a 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.

Both Gushchin and Thompson have played in NHL games this season, but this is the first call-up of Romanov’s career. The 24-year-old netminder is in his first North American season after spending the majority of the last two years with Gornyak-UGMK of the VHL, Russia’s second-tier league. He posted a .916 save percentage across 80 VHL games, performing well enough to earn an undrafted free-agent contract with San Jose last May. Romanov has since spent most of this season in the AHL, recording nine wins and a .904 save percentage in 29 games, though he’s also played in seven ECHL games. A start in the NHL would make him the second Sharks goalie this season to play in all three leagues, joining Magnus Chrona, who’s managed a .859 in nine NHL games.

The trio of Gushchin, Thompson, and Romanov could each be poised for strong ice time in San Jose’s final games, as the team gets a look at prospects on the fringe of the lineup. That could mean less ice time for the few 30-year-olds on the roster, including Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Jan Rutta, and Ryan Carpenter. Gushchin has appeared in four NHL games across the last two seasons, recording three points, while Thompson’s has only managed his NHL debut, playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning in January. Both players will be searching for their first NHL goal of the season.

Sharks Notes: Gushchin, Lindblom, Benning, MacDonald

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When the Sharks returned high-ceiling winger prospect Daniil Gushchin to the minors yesterday, most thought he would be back up quickly after getting some playing time over the weekend. However, head coach David Quinn told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now that Gushchin’s demotion is of a more permanent nature.

Gushchin, 21, was the 76th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Quinn called the second of two games on Gushchin’s recent call-up “a little bit of a hard game for him” and thought he got “overwhelmed defensively.” While he would likely provide a bit more offensive punch than many currently on the Sharks’ roster, the organization obviously believes in playing the long game with Gushchin and thinks dominating the AHL, where he has 13 points in 11 games with the San Jose Barracuda, is better for his development at this stage.

Elsewhere around the Sharks conversation today:

  • Also, speaking to Peng earlier today, Quinn said forward Oskar Lindblom’s recovery timeline from his lower-body injury is week-to-week. Lindblom landed on IR five days ago after a recent call-up, playing just one game before sustaining the injury – which prompted Gushchin’s initial recall. The former Flyers winger, who recovered from a diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma in 2020, did not get on the scoresheet in his lone appearance and has just two points in eight games with the Barracuda this season.
  • Quinn also confirmed that a pair of injured Sharks defenders, Matt Benning and Jacob MacDonald, are close to returning to the lineup and will likely travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. The veteran pair have played just a combined ten games this season and are likely to return within the next week, while the Sharks have two games against more northern Pacific Division neighbors. MacDonald has taken line rushes as a forward in his return to practice with the team and will likely suit up in a fourth-line role when he does play, while Benning, in the second season of a four-year deal, could be slated for a top-four role on a very fluid Sharks backend. No corresponding moves will need to be made to activate them while center Nico Sturm, who carries a non-roster designation while on personal leave, is away from the team.

Sharks Assign Daniil Gushchin To AHL, Nico Sturm Takes Leave Of Absence

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Sharks winger Daniil Gushchin is headed back to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, per Max Miller of The Hockey News. Miller says this is not a permanent return to the minors for the promising youngster but rather a paper move to get him playing time with the Barracuda over the weekend. The Sharks do not return to action until Monday against the Canucks, by which time he’ll likely be back on the NHL roster.

The Sharks also announced that center Nico Sturm has taken a leave of absence to attend to a family matter and will miss the team’s next two games, meaning he’ll be away from the team for at least a week. Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports the league granted a Sharks request for Sturm to occupy non-roster status while he’s away from the team, meaning he will not use a spot on the 23-man roster until he’s returned.

Gushchin has played in the Sharks’ last two games after a recall on Monday, recording an assist and an even plus-minus rating while playing top-six minutes. The 21-year-old hasn’t looked out of place and is off to an impressive start in 2023-24, racking up four goals and 13 points through 11 contests with the Barracuda.

It’s a promising trajectory for the 2020 third-round pick, who’s putting up quite good numbers at a young age and appears well on his way to an eventual top-nine role in the Bay Area. The 5-foot-10, 181-pound winger makes up for his lack of size with dogged effort and good puckhandling skills, as evidenced by his 45 points in 67 games during his rookie season with the Barracuda last year. That was good enough for second on the team, as were his 22 goals.

The Sharks have won three out of their last six outings, none more impressive than their 5-1 victory over the Blues last night. With confidence building in the room, the team likely feels less of a need to shelter their young players from blowout losses and could be more willing to give players like Gushchin some more runway at the NHL level.

Like many other Sharks, Sturm is off to a disappointing start this season, recording just two assists in 17 games while averaging nearly 15 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old German pivot is in the second season of a three-year, $6MM deal signed with the Sharks in free agency in 2022. He posted a career-high 14 goals and 26 points in 74 games last season and has been a decent defensive presence in the bottom six since gaining a full-time NHL role in 2020 with the Wild.

With a roster spot open for a recall in Sturm’s absence, someone like 21-year-old Thomas Bordeleau or 24-year-old Jacob Peterson could get a look with the Sharks early next week. They’ve played six games each this season but remain assigned to the Barracuda, where they’ve each put up solid offensive numbers.

Sharks Recall Daniil Gushchin, Place Oskar Lindblom On IR

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4:48 PM: In a clarification report, Sheng Peng of NBC Sports has relayed that Lindblom has in fact been placed on the injured reserve, rather than being sent down to the Barracuda.

2:02 PM: The San Jose Sharks recalled forward prospect Daniil Gushchin from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda on Monday, per a team release. Forward Oskar Lindblom was returned to the Barracuda. in a corresponding transaction.

Gushchin hasn’t been the subject of much public discussion, but he’s seen his stock rise significantly since the Sharks selected him in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He’s off to a great start in the minors this season, leading the Barracuda in scoring with four goals, nine assists and 13 points in 11 games.

The 21-year-old right winger was a prolific scorer in junior hockey, leading the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks and the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs in scoring in his first two post-draft seasons. While he’s got a great shot, he also possesses the talents to develop into a proficient two-way winger, with Elite Prospects calling him a “tenacious back checker who often almost functions as a third defenseman in transition at times.”

Gushchin did not look out of place in a two-game call-up at the end of last season. Skating on a line with Tomáš Hertl and Jacob Peterson, he averaged 15:55 per game and notched his first two NHL points, a goal and an assist.

He was active in getting pucks toward the net during his stint, too, averaging four shots on goal and six shot attempts per game. The Sharks’ next game is on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, during which he could make his 2023-24 NHL season debut.

Meanwhile, Lindblom returns to the minors after a five-day recall. He was on the Sharks’ active roster for their last three games but only played once, recording no shots and a -1 rating in 11:56 of action against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. The 27-year-old cleared waivers preseason after failing to make the team out of camp and recording just six goals in 73 games last season.

In the second year of a two-year deal earning him $2.5MM per season, it is still a remarkable comeback story for Lindblom, who’s still managed to leverage a solid pro career after missing most of the 2020 calendar year while undergoing treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. In eight games with the Barracuda this season, Lindblom has a goal, assist and -6 rating.

While buried in the minors, $1.35MM of Lindblom’s $2.5MM cap hit still counts against the team’s salary cap. With defenseman Radim Simek also counting $1.1MM against the cap while buried in the minors, the Sharks are currently hit with a $2.45MM penalty for buried players.

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