The San Jose Sharks have announced a trade with the Nashville Predators, acquiring forward Egor Afanasyev in exchange for forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. The deal was confirmed by San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier.

Afanasyev, 23, showcased his scoring prowess during the 2023-24 season while playing for the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League (AHL). He led the team with an impressive 54 points, including 27 goals and 27 assists, in 56 games. Notably, he recorded his first professional hat trick against Toronto on November 8th, and finished the regular season with 14 multi-point performances. Afanasyev continued to excel in the playoffs, contributing nine points (five goals, four assists) in 15 games, and scoring a hat trick against Grand Rapids on May 22nd.

Although he only played two games with the Nashville Predators during the 2023-24 season, Afanasyev made his NHL debut on March 11, 2023, and scored his first goal on April 10th against Calgary. In his AHL career, he tallied a total of 59 points (29 goals, 30 assists) in 57 regular season games, and added 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 16 playoff games.

Before his professional career, Afanasyev spent one season with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he accumulated an impressive 67 points (31 goals, 36 assists) in 62 games during the 2019-20 season. He also showcased his skills playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL), earning Third All-Star Team honors in 2018-19 with 62 points (27 goals, 35 assists) in 58 games.

On the international stage, Afanasyev represented Russia at the 2021 World Junior Championship, contributing five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games.

In exchange for Afanasyev, the Sharks sent forward Ozzy Wiesblatt to the Predators. Wiesblatt, 22, spent most of the past two seasons with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, recording a total of 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 79 games. He also had a short loan spell with the Milwaukee Admirals, where he tallied 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 31 games during the 2023-24 season.

Wiesblatt started his hockey career with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL), helping the team secure a league title in the 2018-19 season. He concluded his tenure with the Raiders, accumulating an impressive 179 points (58 goals, 121 assists) in 195 career WHL games.

The acquisition of Afanasyev brings a strong offensive presence to the San Jose Sharks, and the team is hopeful that his scoring ability will contribute to their success in the upcoming season.