The San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche swapped young forwards today, with Daniil Gushchin heading to Colorado in exchange for Oskar Olausson.
It’s a fresh start for both players, who’ve spent most of their time in the AHL so far.
Gushchin, who hasn’t signed a new contract yet, brings some serious scoring punch to Colorado’s farm team. The 22-year-old Russian has lit up the AHL with 70 goals and 150 points in 182 games for the San Jose Barracuda.
But there’s a catch – his defense needs work. A career -48 rating tells that story pretty clearly.
The Colorado Eagles won’t mind too much though. They already led the AHL in scoring last season with 250 goals, and now they’re adding even more firepower.
Olausson comes to San Jose with a more impressive draft pedigree. The Avalanche picked him 28th overall in 2021, hoping they’d found their next scoring star after he dominated Sweden’s junior leagues.
Things haven’t quite worked out that way.
Since coming to North America, the young Swede has struggled to find his groove. He’s managed 33 goals and 66 points in 163 AHL games – decent numbers, but not what you’d expect from a first-round pick.
Neither player has made much of an impact in the NHL yet. Gushchin has played 18 games in the big leagues, while Olausson has appeared in just four.
Don’t expect to see either guy becoming an NHL regular next season unless injuries create some opportunities. But sometimes a change of scenery is exactly what a young player needs to take that next step.
For now, both teams are hoping their new prospect can unlock their potential in a different environment. The AHL season will tell us if this swap works out for either side.
