Recalled/Assigned: 2024-25 Sharks/Barracuda/Thunder

[timorous me]

Mukhamadullin, Askarov, Chernyshov, and Bordeleau are still there but injuried, so hard to tell if they're truly "there".

To paraphrase Gertrude Stein, I'm afraid there's no there there. At least not at the start of the season.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Pretty straightforward from here. Cut Bordeleau, Cardwell, Chernyshov, Graf, Gushchin, Poturalski, Sabourin, White, Cagnoni, Carlsson and Thompson. That gets us to 15 forwards, 8 defensemen and 3 goalies. Couture to IR gets us down to 14 forwards and 25 players total. Final two cuts come down to Mukhamadullin, Vlasic and Askarov's health.

I'd cut Givani Smith before I'd cut Gushchin.

 

[gaucholoco3]

I'd cut Givani Smith before I'd cut Gushchin.

Smith will not make the roster over Gushchin because he is a better hockey player. He will make the roster and play occasionally because he is willing to fight and stick up for his teammates.

 

[Cas]

Smith will not make the roster over Gushchin because he is a better hockey player. He will make the roster and play occasionally because he is willing to fight and stick up for his teammates.

Stupid but true.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Smith will not make the roster over Gushchin because he is a better hockey player. He will make the roster and play occasionally because he is willing to fight and stick up for his teammates.

So is Goodrow and Kunin so it seems redundant to have that many guys for such a role while leaving a lot of skill off the roster.

 

[gaucholoco3]

So is Goodrow and Kunin so it seems redundant to have that many guys for such a role while leaving a lot of skill off the roster.

Gushchin is not competing with G Smith for a roster spot. He needs to play in a scoring role and it looks like the Sharks are loading their top 6 skill forwards into the top 6 and having a very defensive bottom 6. Gushchin is a clear tier below the top 6 skill players but is probably number 7 on the depth chart. His preseason will push him to be the first long term injury call up in the top 6. He will now need to keep that spot with his play with the Cuda.

There is no need to have Gushchin up with the Sharks just to scratch him. In my opinion if they do that it shows they don’t see a future for him.

 

[TheBeard]

I’m calling it now, if Gush goes does he’ll ask for a trade.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Gushchin is not competing with G Smith for a roster spot. He needs to play in a scoring role and it looks like the Sharks are loading their top 6 skill forwards into the top 6 and having a very defensive bottom 6. Gushchin is a clear tier below the top 6 skill players but is probably number 7 on the depth chart. His preseason will push him to be the first long term injury call up in the top 6. He will now need to keep that spot with his play with the Cuda.

There is no need to have Gushchin up with the Sharks just to scratch him. In my opinion if they do that it shows they don’t see a future for him.

He's not but Givani Smith is definitely expendable for the purposes of rewarding someone who would provide more skill in the top nine. I think it's way too early to say they're loading their top 6 and going defensive in the bottom six but doing so would be an unforced error on their part. A defensive 3rd line that the Sharks would employ would basically be forfeiting depth scoring that is needed to compete. Top that off with not insulating at least one of their rookies that looks like he will need it to start and you're asking for problems. Maybe you can get away with heaping all the responsibilities on Celebrini because of how special a talent he is but Smith is pretty clearly not ready for a 2C role to start the year. I also don't think he's ready to be a winger on the 2nd line if you asked Granlund to take most of the center responsibilities.

They should be giving Gushchin a lineup spot to start the season at this pace. They should at the very least insulate Will Smith to start the season as well. I'd much rather put Gushchin on Smith's wing with Zetterlund as the 3rd line and run Eklund-Celebrini-Toffoli and Wennberg-Granlund-Grundstrom or whoever to fill that gap over Smith on the 2nd line.

 

[Mattb124]

With 2 rookies in the top 6, one or the other will very likely miss some games after a lull in their performance due to the rigors of the NHL schedule. Very likely management will use him to slide into a top 6 slot when that happens.