The Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks have made a trade, with the Sharks sending former first-round pick Ozzy Wiesblatt to the Predators. In return, the Sharks have acquired prospect Egor Afanasyev from the Predators.
Afanasyev is a 6-foot-4 winger who was drafted by the Predators in the second round of the 2019 Draft. He had a strong season with the Milwaukee Admirals, leading the team with 27 goals and 54 points. In the playoffs, he contributed five goals and four assists in 15 games. Despite being a prospect, Afanasyev has already seen some NHL action, playing in 19 games over parts of two seasons. He scored his first NHL goal on April 10, 2023, in a game against the Calgary Flames.
Wiesblatt was selected No. 31 overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Sharks. However, he struggled to make an impact on the team and was eventually sent to Nashville as part of this trade. Wiesblatt spent last season playing for their AHL affiliate in San Antonio and had a solid performance with eight goals and nine assists in 34 games.
Sharks fans will be excited to see what Afanasyev can bring to the team moving forward as he is considered one of their top prospects and has shown promise during his time in Nashville. This trade also gives San Jose some much-needed depth on their wing position and allows them to continue building for future successes on their roster
