Afanasyev will head to Russia's selection camp ahead of the 2021 World Junior Championship.
Afanasyev played in just four games for CSKA Moscow this season but performed well with two goals and an assist. The 19-year-old winger could secure a roster spot in the NHL this season, though that's far from guaranteed given the Predators' current forward corps.
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Predators' Frederic Allard: Loaned overseas
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Allard will join Austrian club Villacher SV on loan until the Predators start training camp.
Allard has spent the last three seasons playing for AHL Milwaukee without earning a chance to play for Nashville. Selected by the organization with the 78th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, the 22-year-old blueliner is likely a long shot to make the 23-man roster for Opening Night of the 2020-21 campaign.
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Predators' Philip Tomasino: Loaned to Team Canada
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The Predators have loaned Tomasino to Team Canada for its 2021 World Junior Championship selection camp.
Tomasino spent the 2019-20 season with the Niagara Ice Dogs and Oshawa Generals, totaling 100 points in 62 games split between the two teams. If he makes Team Canada's roster, the 24th overall pick from the 2019 draft will almost certainly be reassigned to Oshawa following the conclusion of the World Junior Championship tournament.
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Predators' Luke Evangelista: Pens entry-level contract
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Evangelista agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level deal with Nashville on Monday.
In his first full season with the London Knights (OHL), Evangelista racked up 23 goals and 38 helpers in 62 appearances. Whenever the OHL season kicks off for 2020-21, the 18-year-old winger should continue to push the point-per-game pace and could get a look at the 23-man roster for the Predators before his ELC runs out.
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Predators' Connor Ingram: Headed overseas on loan
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The Predators have loaned Ingram to IF Bjorkloven of Sweden's HockeyAllsvenskan league.
Ingram will head to Sweden for now, but he'll be recalled ahead of the Predators' 2020-21 training camp, whenever that may be. The 23-year-old backstop spent the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign in the minors, compiling a 21-5-5 record while posting an impressive 1.92 GAA and .933 save percentage in 33 appearances. He's expected to once again serve as AHL Milwaukee's No. 1 netminder next season.
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Predators' Rem Pitlick: Earns one-year contract
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Pitlick inked a one-year, two-way deal with Nashville on Tuesday.
Pitlick failed to break into the NHL last season, as he spent the entire year with AHL Milwaukee, for which he tallied 20 goals and 16 helpers in 63 appearances. The University of Minnesota product will likely see the bulk of his minutes in the minors again in 2020-21, though he could earn the occasional promotion to the NHL.
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Predators' Tyler Lewington: Signs with Nashville
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Lewington signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Predators on Tuesday.
Lewington spent most of last season in the minors, notching 13 points in 43 games with AHL Hershey, but he also appeared in six games with the Capitals, going scoreless while racking up 17 PIM over that span. The Predators are pretty deep at defense, so don't expect Lewington to see much NHL action in 2020-21.
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Predators' Brad Richardson: Secures deal with Predators
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Richardson (thumb) signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Nashville on Monday.
The 35-year-old forward underwent surgery on his thumb after the Coyotes were knocked out of the playoffs, and it's unclear what his rehab timeline will look like. Richardson scored just six goals and 11 points in 59 games with Arizona last season. Expect the veteran to fill a bottom-six role with the Predators next season.
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Predators' Yegor Afanasyev: Heads to home country
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The Predators loaned Afanasyev to the KHL's CSKA Moscow on Sunday.
The 19-year-old will get an opportunity for more professional experience overseas, as he's expected to re-join the Predators for next season's training camp. Afanasyev had a solid season in his first campaign with OHL Windsor, racking up 31 goals and 67 points across 62 games.
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Predators' Nick Cousins: Lands two-year deal in Nashville
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Cousins signed a two-year, $3 million deal with the Predators on Friday, Frank Seravalli of TSN.ca reports.
Cousins scored 25 points last season with Vegas and Montreal and tallied another five assists in 17 postseason contests. The 5-foot-11 forward should immediately improve the Predators' center depth after the departure of Nick Bonino and Kyle Turris this offseason.
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Predators' Matt Benning: Bound for Tennessee
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Benning was signed to a two-year, $2 million contract by the Predators on Friday, Pierre LeBrun of TSNreports.
Benning was mostly a regular on the Oilers' back end in his first four seasons in the league, posting 61 points in 248 games. He's more known for his physicality, as evidenced by his whopping 447 credited hits during that span, and he's apt at getting in front of pucks, too (239 blocked shots). That said, he won't do much for your fantasy squad offensively, but if you're in a deep league that counts defensive stats, he might be worth a look.
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Predators' Mark Borowiecki: Lands in Music City
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Borowiecki signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Predators on Friday.
After spending his entire career in his hometown of Ottawa, Borowiecki will head to Nashville and bolster the team's blue line. The 31-year-old recorded a career-high 18 points over 53 games with the Senators last year, and he was utilized in more of a defensive role, starting 61.5 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone. He piled up 199 hits and 120 blocked shots as a result, falling short of the 200-hit threshold for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign. Borowiecki will likely handle similar duties next season.
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Predators' Luke Prokop: Massive defender joins Preds
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Prokop was drafted 73rd overall by the Predators at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft on Wednesday.
A massive kid (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) who eats up tons of space in the defensive zone, Prokop has the look of a depth defender at the NHL level. His skating has long been underrated, but he's never produced much offensively in the WHL despite being the No. 7 overall selection in that league's bantam draft back in 2017. A third-pairing, stay-at-home type is a realistic ceiling here. Fantasy players won't have to worry about Prokop moving forward.
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Predators' Luke Evangelista: Shrewd pick by Preds
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Evangelista was drafted 42nd overall by the Predators at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft on Wednesday.
Evangelista hasn't been talked about as often as some of the other top OHL players available in this year's draft, but the London product is a complete, all-around player. Evangelista was known for his ability to put the puck in the net back in his bantam and midget days but has settled into more of a two-way threat at the junior level. He had 23 goals and 61 points in 62 games for the Knights this past season and those numbers would have been even greater had he not had so many talented offensive players ahead of him on the depth chart. A 2020-21 breakout could easily be in the offering for Evangelista and this has all the markings of a shrewd selection by Nashville.
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Predators' Luke Kunin: Traded off to Nashville
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Kunin was traded from Minnesota to Nashville on Wednesday in exchange for Nick Bonino, reports the Predators' official site. Draft picks were also exchanged.
Kunin is a 2016 first-round pick with a great pedigree and his game is on the rise. But it remains to be seen if he can grow into his first-round status or if he's just a third-line scorer. Kunin plays a smart, 200-foot game and is coming off his best NHL totals of his young career. He put up 15 goals and 16 assists in 63 games last season. His versatility helps the Preds -- he's smart enough to skate at pivot or can wind things up on the wing.
Predators' Yaroslav Askarov: Likely to stay in Russia for now
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Predators GM David Poile expects Askarov to remain in his native Russia for two more KHL seasons, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.
Askarov was the first goalie off the board in the NHL Entry Draft on Tuesday, going 11th overall to Nashville. He just turned 18 in June and has of plenty of developing to do, both physically and with his game. That said, Poile's estimate of a couple years seems like a conservative estimate for the young Russian netminder.
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Predators' Yaroslav Askarov: Top goalie prospect Nashville-bound
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Askarov was drafted 11th overall by the Predators at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft on Tuesday.
Throw out the wobbly 2020 World Junior showing, because this guy has "No. 1 goalie" written all over him. Askarov has excelled at every turn, including this past season as a 17-year-old in Russia's second-highest pro league. There's no reason to believe his upward trajectory won't continue. He has great size and quickness, and remarkable mental toughness. Askarov wants to play in the NHL, but there's real risk for this high-ceiling goaltender. SKA, his Russian team, spends cash liberally to entice players to stay and will likely try to keep him at home. Dynasty-wise, Askarov is worth the stash if you can wait four or five years.
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Predators' Devin Cooley: Signs with Nashville
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Cooley signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Predators on Tuesday.
Cooley took a step back in 2019-20, posting a 2.08 GAA and .908 save percentage in nine appearances as a junior at the University of Denver after posting a much more impressive 1.88 GAA and .934 save percentage in 20 showings as a sophomore, but he still has some long-term potential at the next level. The undrafted free agent will almost certainly spend the entirety of the 2020-21 campaign in the minors.
