Penguins, Flyers Swap Egor Zamula, Philip Tomasino
The Penguins announced they’ve acquired defenseman Egor Zamula from the Flyers in exchange for winger Philip Tomasino. Both players had previously cleared waivers and will report to their respective new AHL affiliates.
Zamula’s name first surfaced on the trade market at the beginning of the season, initially linked to the Flames. While that deal never came close to fruition, the 25-year-old became an increasingly frequent healthy scratch as the season progressed. After sitting for six straight games in December and being leapfrogged on the depth chart by AHL call-up Ty Murchison, the Flyers placed him on waivers.
Lehigh Valley hadn’t had a ton of action since Zamula’s demotion due to the holiday break, but the 6’3″ lefty did manage two assists and a -3 rating in three games. Last weekend, it was reported that Zamula had changed his representation and was considering terminating his contract to sign with another team at a lower cap hit to boost his chances of returning to the NHL.
Now, Zamula gets the change of scenery he wanted without having to walk away from the remainder of his $1.4MM base salary he’s owed this season. He’d spent his entire pro career in the Philly organization after signing with the Flyers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Over the past six seasons, he’s scored eight goals and 41 points with a -12 rating in 168 appearances, averaging 15:53 per game.
He’s always carried some intrigue with him because of his size and offensive ceiling – he had a career-high 22 points in 61 games two seasons ago – but doesn’t play a physical brand. Nonetheless, he’s had some above-average possession impacts during his time in Philadelphia and, although he’d fallen out of favor with new head coach Rick Tocchet, his statistical profile suggests there’s still an opportunity for him to stick around as a third-pairing option with power-play deployability.
While Zamula will start in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he’ll likely be the first name called up if the Pens need a lefty. He should also quickly find his way onto the roster if the Pens ship out Brett Kulak or Ryan Shea, their two pending unrestricted free agents on the left side of their blue line, before the trade deadline.
Pittsburgh has been active in picking up change-of-scenery candidates over the past couple of seasons, including nabbing Yegor Chinakhov from the Blue Jackets just two days ago. Tomasino was a similar acquisition from the Predators last season as well, although that one didn’t end up paying dividends.
The 24th overall pick in 2019, Tomasino arrived in Pittsburgh early last season in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The high-skill winger looked like a natural fit in Pittsburgh’s top nine early on, even getting some reps alongside Evgeni Malkin. After posting just one assist in 11 games with Nashville to begin the year, he logged 11 goals and 23 points in 50 contests to close out the season with the Pens.
However, Pittsburgh’s preference to integrate its own drafted-and-developed talent, plus UFA pickups Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha developing some high-end chemistry with Malkin, pushed Tomasino down the depth chart from the drop this season. The 24-year-old only averaged 12:10 per game through nine contests, scoring one assist with a -2 rating, before he ended up on waivers in November. He was eventually reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’s clicked at over a point per game pace with a 5-10–15 line and +12 rating in 14 games.
For a Flyers team in need of some wing depth in the wake of Tyson Foerster‘s season-ending arm injury, Tomasino is an intriguing pickup who could even slot into top-six minutes if they opt to return Denver Barkey to the minors after giving him his first taste of NHL hockey. If nothing else, he’s an immediate reinforcement to a Lehigh Valley offense that’s only producing 2.77 goals per game this season.
Both pending restricted free agents, Zamula carries a $1.7MM cap hit while Tomasino counts for $1.75MM. For now, Zamula will only cost $550K against the Pens’ books, and Tomasino will cost $600K for the Flyers while each remains in the minors.
Images courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images (Zamula) and Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images (Tomasino).
Which NHLer Is Most Likely To Seek A Contract Termination?
The NHL has recently experienced an unusual trend: an increase in players choosing to forgo guaranteed contracts that still owe them millions to find a playing situation that better suits them. This process involves the player clearing standard waivers with the team anticipating they’ll refuse to report to their AHL affiliate, creating a breach of contract that allows the team to place the player on unconditional waivers, before ultimately finalizing the contract termination.
Last year, Brandon Saad did this by walking away from the remaining year and a half of his deal and over $3MM in salary. This summer, forward Conor Sheary followed suit, foregoing the final year of his contract and saving the Lightning $1.5MM. Just a few weeks ago, Maple Leafs forward David Kämpf also stepped back, forfeiting over $2MM in salary. More recently, Alexandre Texier left the Blues and signed with the Canadiens for roughly half his previous salary. In effect, all these players essentially halved their earnings to find situations better suited to them, raising the question: who might be the next player to break their current contract?
Dozens, if not hundreds, of players under NHL contracts could be described as unhappy with their playing time. However, most, if not all, would be satisfied with the current NHL paychecks they receive. Players such as Ryan Graves, Tristan Jarry, and Ville Husso will not be included for purposes of this article. While they are veterans who have earned good money in their NHL careers, they are still early in their lucrative new deals, and they have spent time in the AHL over the last calendar year. This piece will focus on players in a unique position regarding their contracts who might be willing to walk away from guaranteed money if they can’t be moved via trade or waivers.
Penguins forward Philip Tomasino is the top name on the list and has already been made available to every NHL team this month after he was placed on waivers by the Penguins and eventually assigned to the minors after passing through. Signed to a one-year, $1.75MM deal last offseason, many fans were surprised when the Penguins non-tendered him in the summer, only to re-sign him to that one-year pact.
The move kept his salary lower, but Tomasino has still failed to provide any value to Pittsburgh this season, with just one assist in nine NHL games. Tomasino also started slowly last year with Nashville, posting a single assist in his first 11 games before a midseason trade to Pittsburgh sparked a turnaround. Hence, a comeback isn’t out of the question.
Clearly, passing on waivers showed a complete lack of interest in Tomasino at his current price, but at league minimum, teams might be more willing to take a shot. However, the chances of that happening seem low, as the Penguins likely aren’t keen to use up a salary retention slot on him, and Tomasino likely doesn’t want to leave the highest salary he’s earned in his NHL career. There’s always a possibility that the Mississauga, Ontario native stays in the AHL for the rest of the season, but given his six points in three AHL games, he might find a way to work his way back to the NHL, just like teammates Graves and Jarry did over the past year.
Next up is a player who is nearly 10 years older than Tomasino: defenseman Erik Gustafsson of the Red Wings. Like Tomasino, Gustafsson is in the final year of his contract and trying to maintain his NHL career, but that is where many similarities end. Gustafsson is a ten-year NHL veteran nearing the end of his playing career, whereas Tomasino is just beginning his.
Not so long ago, Gustafsson was regarded as a capable third-pairing defenseman. Many praised the Red Wings for signing him to a two-year, $4MM contract in July 2024. That deal proved to be ill-fated. Gustafsson’s play declined last season, especially on the offensive side. His puck handling was sloppy, and he wasn’t the same contributor as in previous years.
This poor performance led to a demotion this season, with the 33-year-old playing most of his games in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Credit to Gustafsson for stepping up and performing well in the AHL, but it does raise questions about whether he will finish the year in Detroit. The Wings might consider trading him or putting him on waivers (again), but given his recent play and salary, that seems unlikely.
Another factor in Gustafsson’s situation is the fact that he’s made $2MM or more in just three NHL seasons. One of these was the shortened 2020-21 season, which had a 56-game schedule, meaning Gustafsson’s $3MM AAV effectively amounted to a $2MM salary that year. This income would have been subject to deferrals, escrow, agent fees, and taxes, so Gustafsson actually received less than half of it. Aside from that, Gustafsson is nearing the end of his career and has earned somewhere in the range of $10MM-$12MM (gross income), so he probably isn’t willing to walk away from $1.5MM without at least the promise of another contract elsewhere.
Another Detroit defenseman who might seem like a contender is Justin Holl, who is also 33 years old and in the final year of his contract. Holl signed a three-year, $10.4MM deal with the Red Wings in July 2023, but that contract has proven to be poor value for Detroit. Like Gustafsson, Holl was a turnover machine last season and has ended up in the AHL this year. The signing never made much sense from the start, as Holl has always been a fairly average defenseman, and not the type you rush to overpay on July 1, which is precisely what Detroit did.
Holl is probably still an NHL defenseman and could likely find a role if he didn’t have a $3.4MM price tag attached. However, to move him, Detroit would probably need to include an asset and retain salary. Since he’s a pending UFA, they won’t go through the trouble. Considering he has earned over $15MM in his career, you would think Holl might be inclined to leave his contract early if given the chance. Still, it seems unlikely because this is probably his last big NHL payday, and he can wait until summer to sign a two-way deal for league minimum.
Another player to consider is Oilers winger Max Jones. Jones was acquired last season from the Bruins and played 19 games down the stretch, but didn’t contribute much with just a goal and an assist. Jones can skate and hit; beyond that, his abilities are pretty limited. He is in the second year of a two-year, $2MM deal, and since he’s earning one-way money, it’s unlikely he would walk away from it to pursue another job. Jones has spent the entire season in the AHL after passing through waivers in October, and he’s probably best served to ride out his current contract and hope for a promotion to the NHL. The 27-year-old is lucky to have time on his side and can look for a two-way contract in the off-season, but if he chooses to opt out, he’ll likely find a two-way league minimum deal that puts him in the same position he’s in now, just wearing a different jersey.
Other players who might consider terminating their contracts soon include Jets forward Tanner Pearson. Pearson has been receiving fourth-line minutes in Winnipeg and has faced challenging assignments in that role. He’s got just three goals and an assist in 23 games this season. However, with a $1MM salary, he might choose to stay the course and play the hand he’s been dealt. It’s unlikely that Pearson would find a team willing to give him a top-nine role at this stage of his career, so he’s probably best advised to stay in Winnipeg under contract.
Another possibility could be Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram, but his play in the AHL this season has been atrocious, with a 3-3-2 record and a .873 SV%. Ingram is making $1.95MM in the final year of his deal and is probably best served continuing to cash his cheques and trying to improve his game to get back to the NHL. Ingram is also in a position with the Oilers where it might be his best route back to an NHL lineup, given the issues Edmonton’s goaltending has faced this year.
A few final names of players who could be contenders to terminate their current contracts mutually include defensemen Daniil Miromanov of the Flames and Kyle Burroughs of the Kings, as well as forward Carl Grundström of the Flyers. These three players are in the final years of their deals, earning over $1MM this season, and are currently playing in the AHL.
Pittsburgh Penguins Make Several Roster Moves
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they’ve recalled forward Tristan Broz from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and reassigned forward Philip Tomasino in a corresponding roster move. Additionally, the Penguins have assigned defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Jack St. Ivany to the AHL on conditioning loans.
Broz, 23, will have the opportunity to make his NHL debut. Pittsburgh selected the Bloomington, MN native with the 58th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he’s been playing with the AHL Penguins for the last two years.
He was relatively successful in his first full year with WBS, scoring 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games with a -7 rating. It wasn’t enough to land Broz on the AHL’s All-Rookie Team last year, but he finished eighth on the team in scoring.
This season, Broz is off to a terrific start, scoring eight goals and 13 points in 18 games with a +5 rating. Being that he was third on the team, the top four scorers for the AHL Penguins this season are now all rostered in the NHL.
Meanwhile, Tomasino is guaranteed to play in his first AHL contest since the 2023-24 campaign, assuming he reports. The former first-round pick of the Nashville Predators has struggled this season, registering one assist in nine games, averaging 12:10 of ice time per game. He cleared waivers five days ago, but had remained on the NHL roster until today.
Lastly, Brunicke and St. Ivany will head to the AHL for a short time. Brunicke has been on the roster for the entire 2025-26 campaign up to this point, though he hasn’t appeared in a contest since early November. In the games he has played, he’s scored one goal while averaging 15:43 of ice time. On his conditioning loan, he’ll have access to far more ice time.
St. Ivany, on the other hand, hasn’t appeared in a contest for the Penguins this season. The two-year veteran began the year on Pittsburgh’s season-opening injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. Today’s news confirms that St. Ivany has been activated from that list, nearly two weeks after his projected return date.
Penguins’ Philip Tomasino Clears Waivers
Nov. 20: Despite now being eligible for assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre, Tomasino was present for practice with the NHL Penguins today and appears to still be on the club’s NHL roster.
He will remain eligible to be reassigned to the minors without needing to be placed on waivers until he plays in 10 cumulative NHL games since when he cleared waivers, or until he spends 30 cumulative days on an NHL roster.
Nov. 19: Tomasino went unclaimed on waivers and can now be assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, per Friedman.
Nov. 18: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Philip Tomasino on waivers today.
This move could end Tomasino’s tenure in Pittsburgh, just one year removed from when the team traded a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators to acquire him. The Penguins likely viewed Tomasino as a player who could potentially benefit from a change of scenery. The 2019 first-round pick was once viewed as one of the Predators’ top prospects. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked Tomasino No. 2 in the Predators’ system in 2021, writing at the time that he saw “clear top-six upside” and a player who was a “multi-faceted play-driver” that could still find a way to impact games even without consistent puck touches.
After Tomasino’s rookie season in 2021-22, it looked like Tomasino was still on track to live up to the hype he’d garnered as a prospect. He scored 11 goals and 32 points, providing useful secondary scoring to a Predators team that reached the playoffs. Tomasino would go on to score 38 points across his next 72 NHL games in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but those numbers didn’t tell the whole story.
Tomasino’s propensity for defensive lapses and inability to consistently win puck battles or play through the middle of the ice cost him the trust of Predators head coach Andrew Brunette, who took the team to the playoffs and won 47 games in his first season at the helm in Nashville. Tomasino averaged 15:36 time-on-ice under John Hynes the year prior, but his ice time fell to just 12:34 per game under Brunette.
After Tomasino scored just one point in 11 games to start 2024-25, the Predators traded him to Pittsburgh. Initially, the Penguins’ bet seemed to be paying off, as Tomasino scored three goals and four points in his first five games with the Penguins. The rest of the way, it was a relatively similar story to Tomasino’s time in Nashville. He had decent box score numbers (23 points in 50 games, a 38-point 82-game pace) but a lackluster all-around impact.
While it’s come on an accelerated timeline, Tomasino’s time in Pittsburgh appears to have followed a similar track to his time in Nashville. There were those aforementioned early flashes, followed by passable scoring numbers and a sense that he consistently left fans and coaches wanting more.
So far in his second season in Pittsburgh, Tomasino’s time has gone similarly to his later tenure as a Predator. A coaching change happened, and he’s not nearly as trusted by the new head coach, Dan Muse, as he was under former coach Mike Sullivan. Tomasino’s ice time has again declined to just over 12 minutes per night, and he’s found himself a healthy scratch on some nights, just as he was in Nashville.
Over the last few weeks, there was a growing sense in the media that Tomasino’s days on the Penguins’ NHL roster could be numbered. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported on Oct. 27 that the Penguins were “not thrilled with Tomasino’s current play,” and that when he was still in Pittsburgh, Sullivan “believed that Tomasino concerned himself too much with his statistics and the scoresheet and not enough with the finer aspects of the game.” Yohe also wrote that Tomasino had been “painfully invisible” in games so far in 2025-26.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel wrote earlier this month about how Muse had implored Tomasino to find a way to consistently “impact the game” and forge his own identity as a player at the NHL level. Vensel wrote at the time that Tomasino “would presumably be on a short list of players they would consider sending down” in the event that the Penguins needed to clear a roster spot if his play did not improve dramatically, and if he remained unable to impact the game in the kind of way Muse wanted him to.
Based on his placement on waivers today, it appears the Penguins may feel Tomasino is not likely to discover that identity or find a way to consistently impact the game in Pittsburgh. It’s important to note, of course, that Tomasino remains just 24 years old, and despite his struggle to establish himself as an NHLer, remains a player with legitimate offensive talents. While things haven’t worked out in Pittsburgh, there are only so many players going around who possess the ability to dazzle with puck skills and offensive ability. While Tomasino has only been able to show off those talents on an inconsistent basis at the NHL level, it’s possible another club could look to claim Tomasino and see if their coaching staff can unlock the potential Tomasino wasn’t able to realize with his prior two teams.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Penguins Sign Connor Dewar, Philip Tomasino
After opting not to issue them a qualifying offer yesterday, the Penguins have brought back forwards Connor Dewar and Philip Tomasino on one-year deals, the club announced. Dewar lands a $1.1MM commitment, while Tomasino will earn $1.75MM.
With very few guaranteed roster spots, it made sense for the Penguins to re-sign Dewar and Tomasino. Both players were acquired at different points last season and are young enough to be considered consistent options in Pittsburgh.
Already 26 years old, Dewar is a bottom-six forward through and through. He has played for three different organizations over three seasons, accumulating 21 goals and 47 points in 203 games, along with a -16 rating while with the Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Penguins. He’s spent some time down the middle, but he’s better used on the wing.
Similarly, Pittsburgh acquired Tomasino last season, hoping to get some value from the former 24th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. He played fairly well for the Penguins after coming over from the Nashville Predators, scoring 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games, averaging 13:27 of ice time.
Tomasino’s offensive talents are well known at this point, but without his defensive capabilities improving, it’s challenging for the Penguins to give him increased opportunity. At any rate, given they haven’t qualified for the postseason in two years, and not being expected to in 2025-26, Pittsburgh quite literally has nothing to lose but giving Tomasino a shot at top-six minutes and see if he can live up to his draft billing and the talents that made him such a prized prospect to begin with.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report Dewar was returning to Pittsburgh.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Metro Notes: Hamilton, Hurricanes, Penguins
Heading into the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the New Jersey Devils will be without their top forward and defenseman. However, it may not be long before the latter returns. Earlier today, Peter Baugh of The Athletic relayed a note from the Devils’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe, indicating Dougie Hamilton could return for Round One.
Originally, Hamilton had been ruled out for the regular season in mid-March, with a projected return date of Round Two of the postseason. A week ago, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Hamilton was recovering faster than expected, with the likelihood of a Round One return increasing exponentially now that he’s returned to skating.
There’s no question the Devils could use him. Hamilton scored nine goals and 40 points in 63 games for New Jersey this season, with 15 coming on the team’s powerplay. The Devils have slowed down since Hamilton and forward Jack Hughes exited the lineup, while their projected Round One opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, have managed a 9-4-0 record since the trade deadline, meaning New Jersey will need every advantage available.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Speaking of Carolina, the Hurricanes are expected to welcome forwards Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov back to the lineup for tonight’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres. Staal and Svechnikov had missed a handful of games for Carolina over the past week. Unfortunately, in the report from Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer, the Hurricanes are expected to be without center Jesperi Kotkaniemi for the next week. Still, Alexander did reiterate a sentiment from head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicating it’s not a serious ailment for Kotkaniemi.
- Earlier today, Seth Rorabaugh of The Tribune Review contextualized Matthew Nieto‘s emergency recall last night. Rorabaugh reports that forward Philip Tomasino has been diagnosed with a concussion, and forward Blake Lizotte is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Unfortunately, the concussion will likely result in the end of Tomasino’s 2024-25 season. Still, he’s had a promising run with the Penguins since being acquired from the Predators earlier in the year, scoring 10 goals and 20 points in 48 contests with the new organization.
Penguins Place Evgeni Malkin On IR, Activate Philip Tomasino
The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed star Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Malkin has already missed Pittsburgh’s last three games, and will now be forced out of at least four more games. He had previously played in Pittsburgh’s first 41 games of the season, and was red-hot in the winter months. Malkin had seven points in nine games leading up to his injury.
In a corresponding move, Pittsburgh has also activated Philip Tomasino off of injured reserve, returning him from a four-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Tomasino has been one of the brightest spots of Pittsburgh’s middling year. Acquired for a fourth-round pick in a late-November trade with Nashville, Tomasino has since posted four goals and seven points in 16 games with the Penguins – the highest scoring pace of his career. He’s looked properly alive in the Penguins lineup, filling a much-needed top-six role after four up-and-down seasons in Nashville. Tomasino was a first-round draft pick in 2019, and made the jump into a full-time NHL role two seasons later. He scored 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games as a rookie – a very encouraging start for the then-20-year-old forward. But Tomasino struggled to maintain that into his sophomore year, and would only reach 20 points one more time – in 41 games of the 2023-24 campaign – during his time in Nashville.
Malkin’s absence will leave a glaring hole in the Pittsburgh lineup. The future Hall-of-Famer has, once again, been one of Pittsburgh’s most utilized forwards at both even-strength and on the power-play. The need for another top-unit forward could pave a golden path for Tomasino upon his return, giving the young center yet another chance to show Pittsburgh what he can do with a proper role. Pittsburgh has turned towards Anthony Beauvillier to fill the top-six vacancy over the last three games, though he hasn’t managed any scoring in the boosted role.
In other Penguins news, forward Michael Bunting will also miss the team’s Sunday game after being involved in a car accident outside PPG Paints Arena per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told Rorabaugh that Bunting isn’t expected to miss extended time. Bunting has been another red-hot Penguin, with four points in his last five games.
Penguins Activate Kris Letang, Place Philip Tomasino On IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins are making a few roster moves before their game against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. Pittsburgh announced they’ve placed forward Philip Tomasino on injured reserve while later adding they’ve activated defenseman Kris Letang in a corresponding move.
Considering the Penguins had a full 23-man roster before tonight’s game, this transaction was expected. Wes Crosby of NHL.com reported earlier that the Penguins expect Tomasino to miss the next week or two with a lower-body injury while Letang became a game-time decision.
Tomasino’s injury dampens the young forward’s hopes for the 2024-25 season. The former 24th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft was traded from the Nashville Predators to the Penguins for a 2027 fourth-round pick earlier in the season appearing to turn a corner with the second organization of his career.
He scored three goals and four points in his first five games as a Penguin averaging 15 minutes of ice time per game, nearly two minutes more than his season-high with the Predators. Unfortunately, Tomasino’s production has cooled off dramatically with one goal and three points in the next 11 contests. Thanks to Pittsburgh’s 10-5-2 record in their last 17 games, Tomasino should rejoin a team on the hunt for a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs which is more than what could be said of his former teammates in Nashville.
At the cost of some forward depth up front, the Penguins will get an addition to their defensive core in the form of Letang. Unfortunately, it won’t be quite the addition as it would have been in years past.
Letang is squarely in the middle of the worst statistical output of his lengthy NHL career. Assuming he plays in Pittsburgh’s remaining 42 games and continues his current offensive production, he’ll finish with 35 points in 76 games this season which would be the lowest since his tertiary campaign in the 2008-09 season.
Things don’t get any better on the defensive side of the puck. Letang is averaging a career-low 47.8% CorsiFor% and 87.5% on-ice save percentage while at even strength. Additionally, Letang is averaging an expected +/- in the negatives for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
Still, the Penguins are contractually committed to Letang for three years beyond this one and he still represents one of their better defensive options. He’s expected to play alongside rookie defenseman Owen Pickering on the team’s top-pairing tonight.
Metropolitan Notes: Tomasino, Tarasov, George, Holmstrom
Penguins winger Philip Tomasino left Friday’s game against Florida early after a collision with Nate Schmidt and sustained a lower-body injury on the play. Team reporter Michelle Crechiolo relays (Twitter link) that there was no further update on his injury today with head coach Mike Sullivan indicating that he’s still being evaluated. Tomasino has been a nice addition since being acquired from Nashville back in November for a 2027 fourth-round pick, picking up four goals and three assists in 16 games but now it looks like he’ll be out of the lineup for a little while. Barring any further roster movement, one of Anthony Beauvillier or Jesse Puljujarvi (who remains on the roster despite recently clearing waivers) will take Tomasino’s place in the lineup.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov acknowledged to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link) that he declined the organization’s request to take a conditioning stint with AHL Cleveland. The 25-year-old has only played once in the last month – that coming last Saturday – and has played just twice since mid-November. It has been a rough year for Tarasov who has a 4.23 GAA and a .857 SV% in 10 starts but feels he’d be best served staying in the NHL while his agent J.P. Barry added that Tarasov’s injury history in the minors also played a role in the decision.
- Islanders defenseman Isaiah George is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, notes Newsday’s Denis Gorman (Twitter link). The rookie was injured in Thursday’s loss to Toronto. George has been impressive since being recalled in early November. He has played in 25 games so far, recording five points and 30 blocked shots while averaging 16:38 of playing time and even saw time on the top pairing at one point. Meanwhile, Gorman adds that winger Simon Holmstrom is also listed as day-to-day with his upper-body injury. He last played on Sunday and has nine goals and 13 assists in 37 games so far and is close to matching his rookie-season output already.
Metro Notes: Garand, Ovechkin, Milano, Wilson, Tomasino
The New York Rangers are returning to their regular look between the pipes tonight. The organization announced they’ve reassigned goaltender Dylan Garand to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Garand’s reassignment means Igor Shesterkin will return this evening against the Chicago Blackhawks. He missed yesterday’s game after he and his wife welcomed a new child. Garand didn’t play in yesterday’s loss to the Seattle Kraken, but nobody would have been surprised if he did.
Jonathan Quick, a more than reliable backup for the Rangers this season, let in six goals on 21 shots during New York’s collapse in the second and third periods. The situation paved the way for Garand to make his NHL debut after securing a 7-2-2 record in 11 games for the Wolf Pack this season. Nevertheless, the former 103rd overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft will continue to wait to make his first NHL appearance.
Other Metro notes:
- According to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, the Washington Capitals had a pair of forwards resume skating this morning albeit in non-contact jerseys. Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano skated before the Capitals’ formal practice this morning and Milano has reportedly been elevated to working with pucks. The fact Ovechkin has even returned to skating is impressive given he’s just under three weeks removed from fracturing his fibula.
- Power forward Tom Wilson was a notable absence from Washington’s practice this morning (X Link). Wilson took a puck to the face in the team’s recent win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and he finished the game with nearly a season-low time on ice of 16:15. There’s no indication he’s been ruled out of the Capitals’ upcoming game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. Still, it’ll be something to monitor over the next few days.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins could be getting a boost to their forward core tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche. According to Wes Crosby of NHL.com, Penguins’ forward Philip Tomasino was skating in a non-contact jersey before today’s practice after missing the team’s most recent game with an upper-body injury. The former first-round pick has been a boon to Pittsburgh’s offense since being acquired from the Nashville Predators on November 25th scoring three goals and four points in his first five games.