Tomasino Finds a New Home in Pittsburgh
On November 25th, Philip Tomasino was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick. Tomasino was originally drafted 24th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, making his NHL debut with the Predators during the 2021 season. Struggling to get ice time and to make a name for himself in Nashville, Barry Trotz, Nashville’s general manager, dealt Tomasino to Pittsburgh.
When Tomasino got to Pittsburgh, he mentioned that he grew up a Penguins fan and his first hockey jersey was a Sidney Crosby jersey. After playing in four games with the Penguins, Tomasino has been playing on the second line alongside Evgeni Malkin on the second line for all four games. In that four-game stretch, the Penguins are undefeated and Tomasino has recorded three points - two goals and one game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins. Tomasino also leads the team in shots on goal over the four-game stretch with 12.
Before acquiring Tomasino, the Penguins were slotted at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and the league. With the four-game winning streak, the Penguins find themselves at 26 points, sitting one point out of a playoff spot. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang described Tomasino as someone with good hands, good vision, and a good addition to the team. Along with playing on the second line, Tomasino is also on the second powerplay unit where he scored a goal in his second game with Pittsburgh against the Calgary Flames.
Throughout the offseason, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas mentioned that one of his goals was to get younger as a team while still competing. Tomasino at the age of 23 is a prime example of this. Last season, the Penguins were the oldest team in the NHL with an average age of 30.1 years old. This season, the Oilers are the oldest team with an average age of 30.6 years while the Penguins are the third oldest with an average age of 30 years. Tomasino has injected his youthful energy into an older Penguins lineup and this might just be the start of more trades to come. Tomasino and the Penguins look to keep their winning streak alive on Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
