The Puck Authority’s Prospect Profiles: Daniil Gushchin

Player Information:

Name – Daniil Gushchin

Position – Right Wing

League – United States Hockey League (USHL)

Team – Muskegon Lumberjacks

Shoots – Left

Age/DOB: 18-years-old, February 6th, 2002

Nation – Russia

Height – 5’8

Weight – 161 lbs

USHL Drafted: Muskegon Lumberjacks, second round, 26th overall in the 2018 USHL Futures Draft

CHL Drafted: Seventh overall by the Regina Pats at the 2019 CHL Import Draft

Potential: Top-six Winger

Draft Projection – Mid first/early second

Statistics

Scouting Notes

Daniil Gushchin is one of the more interesting 2020 draft-eligible prospects. Gushchin is not one of the biggest players on the ice, however, he is always one of the most dangerous. The sneaky right-winger uses a mixture of his speed and hands to find open spaces and create scoring chances for himself and his teammates.

Gushchin possesses explosive speed which he constantly uses to his advantage to create scoring chances for his team. With the puck on his stick, Gushchin has great control over it and can maneuver it while in tight spaces. He has great hands and can pull off tough moves with the puck.

Gushchin is able to read plays quite well and uses his speed to sneak away from defenders and gets open to receive passes and one-time opportunities. His offensive awareness, speed and quick release come together, making Gushchin a dangerous goal scorer and the type of player that teams hate to play against. Despite his lack of size and offensive instincts, Gushchin is a team-first player who is strong when put on the forecheck.