Poturalski, Gushchin Want More NHL Opportunity…Will It Be With Sharks?

Looking toward next season, Danil Gushchin and Andrew Poturalski have the same priority, to prove themselves in the NHL.

But will that be with the San Jose Sharks?

Poturalski, AHL leader with 73 points, and Gushchin, the San Jose Barracuda’s all-time leading scorer, don’t seem so sure of that.

“I’m still chasing the NHL, and it was a little frustrating in that standpoint to not get a full chance with the Sharks,” the alternate captain said on Friday, as the Barracuda cleaned out their locker rooms for the off-season.

Poturalski said he tore his left MCL, expected to be ready for Game 5

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) May 9, 2025

Poturalski, 31, certainly has nothing left to prove in the AHL. This was his third time leading the league in scoring, and he earned his first-ever AHL MVP. Up with the big club, he had an assist in three games, averaging 14:27 a night. That number of games and time on ice was an NHL career-high, underscoring the veteran’s argument.

“I kind of get it, but I don’t agree with it. I’m getting older, but I don’t feel my play is slowed down. I still think I have something to prove, and I’ve never fully gotten a chance in the NHL,” he said. “That just eats at me a little bit and motivates me to keep going, but just got to keep pushing.”

While the 5-foot-10 center is signed with the San Jose Sharks next year, there are rumors that he’s going to try to go to the KHL, which would require the Sharks’ approval.

Notably, Poturalski did not rule out the KHL possibility or asking for a trade, when asked today.

Gushchin, 23, has been scratching at the surface of the NHL, seeing time with the Sharks in each of the last three seasons. But the 5-foot-10 winger has yet to translate his impressive AHL production — he’s a three-time 20-goal scorer — to the best league in the world.

The San Jose Sharks’ 2020 third-round pick is an RFA, and because he’s Russian, there’s a presumption that he’ll want to go home to play sooner than later. If Gushchin opts to go home, the Sharks just have to qualify him to retain his rights.

Gushchin, on how cool it is to be in the position to be a mentor for Chernyshov: "When I came here, my older 'brother' was AK, [Artemi Kniazev]. We had a lot of guys, like [Nikolai Knyzhov]. But right now, it's my turn, so training camp, I'm kind of his big brother, take him…

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) May 10, 2025

But Gushchin himself reminded us that he’s been in North America for the last six years, from the USHL to the OHL to the AHL to the NHL, making it clear that he wants to acclimate to this continent and establish himself in the best league in the world: “I want to play in the NHL.”

Chernyshov’s English is pretty good 🤣

Gushchin was asked his favorite moment in his time with #SJSharks organization, Chernyshov was standing off to the side, quipped, “When I came here.”

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) May 9, 2025

We’ll see if Poturalski or Gushchin can achieve their dream next year. It sounds like it might not happen with the Sharks.