Sharks acquire Oskar Olausson from Avalanche in exchange for Danil Gushchin
The San Jose Sharks have acquired winger Oskar Olausson from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for winger Danil Gushchin.
Welcome to the team, Oskar!
The Sharks have acquired Oskar Olausson from Colorado.
Olausson was the Avalanche’s first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, although up to this point, he has struggled to live up to that potential, getting into just four NHL games. At 22-years-old, a change of scenery was needed, which he may get on a Sharks team that will have more opportunities for playing time at the NHL level.
Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis had Olausson ranked sixth in Colorado’s prospect pool in this year’s breakdown, and had this to say about the Stockholm, Sweden native:
“Olausson saw NHL action for the third straight year but is still seeking his first point. A first-round pick in 2021, Olausson hasn’t been able to elevate his game offensively yet, with his best output being the 11 goals and 26 points he put up this year in the AHL. At this time, I’m not sure any serious improvement is coming, and I’m not sure he’ll ever fit in Colorado’s system. I like that he’s a decent playmaker, but he doesn’t do enough away from the puck – or with the puck, honestly – to make it feel like he has a legit shot of becoming a full-timer.”
Olausson spent most of his season in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles, where he had 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 61 games. It was a career-high in the minors for him, but still not at the level that the Avalanche would have hoped for at this point in his career. He also had three assists in seven playoff games with the Eagles.
Olausson also got into two games at the NHL level this season, going pointless in both games. So far in his four games of NHL action, he has yet to register a point.
In return, the Avalanche get Gushchin, a player who is a year older, and while he lacks the upside that Olausson may still have, he is a much more established commodity in professional hockey.
Like Olausson, Gushchin spent most of his season in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda, but had a much more successful season with 28 goals and 23 assists for 51 points in 56 games. He also had one assist in four playoff games with the Barracuda.
Gushchin also played 12 games with the Sharks in 2024-25, although he had just one assist, a drop off from the two goals and four points he had in six games prior to this season.