Daniil Gushchin is heading back to Russia.
According to a press release from the KHL, the forward has signed a two-year contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. It marks the first time Gushchin will play in the Russian circuit in nearly a decade.
Gushchin was born and raised in Yekaterinburg, but his path to pro hockey took him through North America. He spent his junior years with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks before moving on to the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. The San Jose Sharks then took him with the 76th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
The third-round selection built a reputation as a scorer pretty quickly. In his first full season, he put up 22 goals and 45 points in 67 games for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, and also chipped in one goal and two points in two games with the Sharks.
Over the next two seasons, he kept producing. Gushchin totaled 48 goals and 105 points in 112 games for the Barracuda, along with one goal and three points in 16 NHL games. Even with that offense, his defensive play limited his chances to stick in the NHL.
The Sharks gave him a new opportunity before the 2025-26 season by sending him to the Colorado Avalanche in a deal for former first-round pick Oskar Olausson. Gushchin had a solid year with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, though it didn’t quite match the impact he had in San Jose. He wrapped up the 2025-26 season with 18 goals and 32 points in 49 games.
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Avalanche Prospects Are Running Out Of Time To Truly Stick
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