Prior to the Nick Paul trade, the Tampa Bay Lightning added another piece to their prospect cupboard. Early on Sunday, the team announced that they had signed 20-year-old Ilya Usau to a three-year contract that is believed to begin next season. The former Prince Albert Raider has been playing for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL and recorded 9 goals and 17 assists in 40 games.
He also competed for Belarus in the most recent Winter Olympics but didn’t record a point in three games. He was passed over in both the 2019 and 2020 NHL drafts before he went overseas to play.