Nashville Predators trade forward Egor Afanasyev to San Jose Sharks for Ozzy Wiesblatt

The Nashville Predators made a minor move on Sunday, sending forward Egor Afanasyev to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Ozzy Wiesblatt.

Afanasyev was selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft out of the Windsor Spitfires. He made his NHL debut with the Predators on March 11, 2023, against the Los Angeles Kings. He scored his first NHL goal on April 10, 2023, against the Calgary Flames.

Despite a solid first three seasons in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals — where he scored 113 points in 187 games — Afanasyev played in only 19 games for the Predators. Moving him to San Jose indicates Nashville did not see him as a viable part for the future.

Wiesblatt joins the Predators already having played 16 games with the Admirals this past season. He was loaned to Milwaukee from the San Jose Barracuda, the Sharks' AHL affiliate. This trade moves Wiesblatt's contract officially to Nashville, where he is signed for $835,833 for the 2024-25 season. He will be a restricted free agent in 2025.

A 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward, Wiesblatt brought speed and physicality to the Admirals' lineup. He had six points in the regular season and nine points in the playoffs for the Admirals, including two goals. Next season, he should see regular playing time under coach Karl Taylor.

Afanasyev's rights are now owned by San Jose, which has until July 1 to make a qualifying offer.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators trade Egor Afanasyev to Sharks for Ozzy Wiesblatt