Egor Afanasyev is headed to the KHL.
The San Jose Sharks acquired the Russian winger from the Nashville Predators on Jun. 23 for winger Ozzy Wiesblatt.
Afanasyev, a 2019 Nashville second-rounder, was coming off a strong campaign, leading the Milwaukee Admirals with 27 goals and 54 points. Afanasyev, however, appeared to be searching for NHL playing time with the Preds that wasn’t there. In parts of two seasons in Nashville, the 6-foot-4 winger scored one goal in 19 games.
The San Jose Sharks, after signing forwards Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg as free agents, and acquiring Barclay Goodrow, Carl Grundstrom, and Ty Dellandrea, were shaping up to be a tougher roster to crack up front too.
According to a source, the 23-year-old is planning to return to CSKA, who hold his rights, for two years. The Sharks, who just qualified the RFA, will retain his NHL rights.
For now, it looks like the San Jose Sharks have got nothing for 2020 first-rounder Wiesblatt, who has yet to play in an NHL game. The fiesty 5-foot-10 winger struggled in the Sharks system, and was loaned to the Admirals for their playoff run. Clearly, the Nashville Predators liked what they saw, acquiring a prospect with some, if limited, runaway, for a higher-ceiling prospect who apparently had one foot out the door.
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