So where does Danil Gushchin fit into the San Jose Sharks lineup?

He’s not Chuck Norris, so not anywhere he wants.

But making five assists, like he did in the San Jose Sharks’ 6-5 last-second win over the Vegas Golden Knights, should count for something. The Sharks scored three goals in the final three minutes to rally from a 5-3 deficit.

Gushchin is now tied with Mat Barzal for the NHL preseason lead with nine points.

“He’s done a lot of good things and he’s clearly helped our hockey club in every game he’s played in,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “He’s put himself in a good place.”

However, this is the challenge for Gushchin.

First, he is exempt from exemption. The Sharks don’t risk losing him if they send him to the AHL.

Second, he is a 6-foot-1 winger who should play on your top three lines and power play to maximize his skills.

San Jose’s top six consists of Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, Mikael Granlund, Will Smith, Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund.

You can’t take Celebrini – and perhaps the Sharks’ most impressive preseason player besides Gushchin – out of the top six.

Toffoli is a three-time 30-goal scorer and the team’s big free agent. Granlund led the Sharks with 60 points last year. Zetterlund led San Jose with 24 goals last season. 2021 seventh overall Eklund was second on the Sharks last year with 45 points.

That leaves Smith fourth overall in 2023. And honestly, the admittedly much older Gushchin has significantly outperformed Smith so far in the preseason.

However, it appears Smith will at least get a first NHL look until he proves he can’t handle it.

What about the third rule? Can Gushchin flank likely third-line center Alex Wennberg?

Frankly, there’s a bigger logjam there than in the top six.

Ty Dellandrea, Barclay Goodrow, Carl Grundstrom, Luke Kunin and center Nico Sturm are proven experienced attackers in the bottom six positions.

None of these forwards are exempt.

Don’t sell wingers Dellandrea, Goodrow, Grundstrom or Kunin short; despite their modest offensive potential, they are capable of doing all kinds of things that help you win hockey games. They all have a good claim to increased third-line minutes.

Take, for example, what Warsofsky said about Kunin, who scored the fourth-and-tying goal in the Sharks’ comeback.

“He’s a hockey player, right? He is a competitor, he is strong, mentally and physically, and gives you everything he has. Great teammate. I can’t say enough good things about Luke Kunin,” Warsofsky said of the Sharks’ alternate captain. “He has gotten into great shape. He moves better. I think tonight was his best game of the preseason. He makes plays. I really liked him throughout training camp. He has come in and has had a huge influence on our younger players and has been a great leader.”

You can also say many of those things about Dellandrea, Goodrow or Grundstrom.

I’m not saying Gushchin can’t replace any of these wingers in the top nine, but that’s not clear.

Anyway, that’s 12 forwards, not counting Gushchin, who I mentioned.

That’s not to mention Klim Kostin or Givani Smith, who are also non-waivers, who bring different qualities and have both had good training camps.

San Jose may start the season with 14 forwards…but would Gushchin be better served playing with the San Jose Barracuda instead of being in and out of the Sharks’ lineup?

For the record, I think Gushchin should be on the opening night roster — he earned it — and find out later.

Gushchin may be in and out of the lineup at first, but like preseason, I like his job prospects.

If that means Kostin or Givani Smith are at risk for waivers, so be it. In any case, these are not slam dunks that can be claimed.

That said, I would understand if GM Mike Grier chooses to send down the waiver wired Gushchin to keep Kostin and Givani Smith off waivers.

Kostin isn’t necessarily reliable, but a truly tantalizing talent, a sometimes immobile force at 6-foot-4 who has the hands of a smaller man.

Smith has come a long way from last season, when he wasn’t always playable. He’s made a lot more plays this preseason, both offensively and defensively, and he’s the only true heavyweight on the Sharks’ roster. If he can be a net positive on the ice, he is very valuable.

There are good reasons to keep both over Gushchin.

Make no mistake, the ability to freely shuttle Gushchin back and forth between the Sharks and Cuda throughout the year is part of it.

As Warsofsky reminded us, “If someone goes down, it doesn’t mean he won’t help us this year. There are many factors that play a role in this.”

Warsofsky spoke after the match about the performances of Danil Gushchin, Ethan Cardwell, Mackenzie Blackwood, Klim Kostin, Luca Cagnoni, Jack Thompson and Givani Smith.

Warsofsky, on Gushchin’s five-assist performance:

Yes, impressive. Really good at the end of the game, loved his effort. I know the points will stand out, but it’s just the effort to get that puck back on the (tying) goal, the effort on the wall to make the play to (Sturm) on the Cardwell goal. Really impressive.

I thought he had a really good camp. It is a discussion that we will have over the next two days and then we will make a decision. But he did a lot of good things and he clearly helped our hockey club in every game he played in. He’s put himself in a good place.

Warsofsky, on Cardwell:

Both guys (Gushchin and Cardwell) put themselves in good positions.

They’ve both made mistakes, and they made mistakes tonight, too. What I like about them is that they have been mentally strong. They keep playing. They continue to compete.

Cards loses his man (Dorofeyev with his hat trick goal) on the court. Goose made some decisions off the puck that needed clearing. But again, they keep playing. This is a game of mistakes. Everyone’s going to make mistakes, but we just got on with it, not just those two guys, but as a group.

We moved Cards over there and played a little bit with Sturmy midway through the second period. I thought that gave that line a little more energy.

Warsofsky, on Blackwood:

I thought he was good. I don’t think we really helped him that much. We’ve given up a lot of time.

He made some big saves, probably too much work, (more) than we want to give him.

Warsofsky, about Kostin:

He was solid. He just needs to find more consistency in his game. And he knows that. He and I talked about that. Obviously a nice goal. He makes a few plays. He’s just, from team to team, just a little bit inconsistent. But I thought he wanted to use his size more tonight because he was more physical.

Warsofsky, on Cagnoni, Thompson and Givani Smith:

Cags was really good. It’s clear he lost cover on the one goal conceded in front of the net, and that’s something he’ll have to continue to work on. But you saw his game grow as the game went on. He calmed down.
Obviously some nerves probably came into play playing in Vegas, in a really big crowd, with their full NHL team, but I thought his game improved.

I really liked Gio early on. Did some really good things. He’s looked good all camp.

And Thompson did some good things too. So we have to make some tough decisions, Mike and his staff, and we’re going to talk and find the best guys that we think can help us.

And if someone goes down, that doesn’t mean he won’t help us this year. There are many factors that play a role in this.

But I couldn’t be prouder of the players, not only here tonight, but at home. It was a very tough training camp, and they worked so hard, we asked them to do a lot of things and they were very attentive and they are working on it and they are working together as a group, so this is a beautiful evening to do it to complete.