Why Ozzy Wiesblatt Was Worth the Gamble for the Predators
22-year-old former first-round pick was loaned to Milwaukee in March
Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz knew where former second-round pick Egor Afanasyev stood with the organization.
The 23-year-old Russian wanted regular playing time in the NHL or he was going to pack up and head back to the KHL and play for CSKA Moskva — the team he played 16 games for during the 2020 COVID season while the NHL had paused its season.
The problem lied in the fact the Predators had minimal NHL roster spots and Trotz preferred to give them to Juuso Parssinen and Philip Tomasino instead. Which is why Trotz traded Afanasyev to the San Jose Sharks for former first-round pick Ozzy Wiesblatt last week.
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