The Penguins announced Monday that they’ve acquired forward Philip Tomasino from the Predators in exchange for the Rangers’ 2027 fourth-round pick. Pittsburgh assigned center Samuel Poulin to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton minutes earlier in a corresponding transaction to make room on the active roster.
Tomasino, still only 23, gets a fresh start in Pittsburgh after having his minutes and overall usage heavily restricted in Nashville ever since the Preds drafted him 24th overall in the 2019 draft. The team confirmed he’s en route to Pittsburgh and will practice tomorrow in hopes of being available for their next game, a Wednesday tilt against the Canucks.
While Tomasino had often been an effective points-per-hour depth piece throughout his first three NHL seasons, the same can’t be said for 2024-25. The Ontario native has struggled on a Nashville team that’s struggled to finish at 5-on-5, posting just one assist in 11 games while averaging a career-low 11:18 per game.
Tomasino had stuck around on the Preds’ roster so far this season after seeing lengthy AHL assignments in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, although that was likely out of fear over losing him on waivers for nothing. This is his first season not being waiver-exempt. Instead, they at least get one asset in return, even if it’s only a mid-round pick that’s years away.
The 6’0″ winger had been a healthy scratch in 10 of 21 games this season, including a stretch of seven straight scratches between Oct. 19 and Nov. 6. He’d also been scratched in two out of Nashville’s last three games.
Given that lack of usage, it’s not at all surprising that the Preds, now fully under the control of general manager Barry Trotz after 20-plus years of David Poile at the helm, decided now was the right time to move on from Tomasino before his value dropped off even more. He still hasn’t come close to sniffing his career-highs of 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games that he set in his rookie campaign in 2021-22 despite averaging under 12 minutes per night.
Still, it stands to reason for Pittsburgh that there’s a fair amount of rebound and breakout potential in Tomasino’s game if he’s deployed in a top-nine role. The forward has 23 goals and 71 points in 159 games over his four-year career – a 12-goal, 37-point average over 82 games squarely in bottom-six usage.
Throughout his Predators career, Tomasino’s possession impacts were negligible. He boasts a career +1 rating, and Nashville controlled 49.6% of shot attempts with him on the ice at even strength since his debut, compared to 48.7% without him.
With the Pens’ offense struggling to click at 2.52 goals per game, Tomasino may get a look in the top nine or even top six alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin to see how he responds in a complementary role. His leash will likely be short. He signed a one-year, $825K deal at the beginning of training camp to end a months-long standoff as a restricted free agent, so he’s at risk of being non-tendered next summer if he can’t perform in Pittsburgh, especially since he’s eligible to file for salary arbitration.
Pittsburgh previously acquired the Rangers’ 2027 fourth-rounder at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for defenseman Chad Ruhwedel.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
idk, but look like a steal. in Pens he, probably, will play top9 minutes. Like, they are really making rebuild on a fly :)
Preds had a logjam at F. They were not impressed by Tomasino’s attention to defense and work ethic, hence the low return. He only has one assist in 11 games this year.
Top 9? More like top line
Not with this coach, he ain’t. Unless Sid decides he wants him on his line. He may get a cup of coffee with Malkin, cause he always gets the castoffs.
Lack of work ethic, poor defense He’ll fit right in with the Pens.
Dubas has NO plan, Throw anything at the wall, And see what sticks.
So much for my idea of Frost for Tomasino and a pick damn!!!
What is this player?
fr
rookie GM gonna Rookie GM… trotz was such a great coach but Holy smokes he is an absolute awful General Manager… already growing tired of these garbage moves he is making… just getting older and slower sheesh
I mean it’s a 2027 4th, but still. A 4th for a guy who has been scratched 10 of 21 games?
NASH dumped former 1st rd pick Tolvanen and it looked like a mistake, surprised NASH is doing this again
Phil has talent, just needs someone to help him put it all together. Unfortunately it just wasn’t going to happen in NSH.
Tolvanen, Askarov, and now Tomasino… asset management continues to hamstring the Predators. It’s almost like Trotz learned it from Poile. Between selecting first-rounders whose ceiling maxes out on the third line, or dumping players for pennies on the dollar, it’s not the way a middle-sized market can run. I can forgive him the signing spree, although that doesn’t look great either. But this stuff feels like amateur hour.
You mean Hall-Of-Famer David Poile? Built a franchise from scratch in a small market Southern city?
And outside of one season, the Preds playoff success was abysmal.
Poile wasn’t a bad GM, but he wasn’t a great one either.
So the Preds combined return on 1st rounders Fabbro, Tolvanen and Tomasino is a 4th round pick in 2027. And you wonder why they’re floundering at the bottom of the league?
They either can’t draft or develop players. Or both.
No matter what kind of player this guys is…when you find out the deal was basically 6 weeks of Chad Ruhwedel for a 23 year old former 1st round pick…it’s hard to criticize it.
Who is better, Tomasino or Glass?
1. Sid Crosby
2. That Wayne dude