Tomasino, nonetheless solely 23, will get a contemporary begin in Pittsburgh after having his minutes and total utilization closely restricted in Nashville ever because the Preds drafted him twenty fourth total within the 2019 draft. The crew confirmed he’s en path to Pittsburgh and can observe Tuesday in hopes of being obtainable for his or her subsequent sport, a Wednesday tilt towards the Canucks.
Whereas Tomasino had usually been an efficient points-per-hour depth piece all through his first three NHL seasons, the identical can’t be mentioned for 2024-25. The Ontario native has struggled on a Nashville crew that’s had bother ending at 5-on-5, posting only one help in 11 video games whereas averaging a career-low 11:18 per sport.
Tomasino had caught round on the Preds’ roster to date this season after seeing prolonged AHL assignments in each 2022-23 and 2023-24, though that was doubtless out of concern over shedding him on waivers for nothing. That is his first season not being waiver-exempt. As a substitute, they at the least get one asset in return, even when it’s solely a mid-round choose that’s years away.
The 6’0″ winger had been a wholesome scratch in 10 of 21 video games this season, together with seven straight video games between Oct. 19 and Nov. 6. He’d additionally been scratched in two out of Nashville’s final three video games.
On condition that lack of utilization, it’s not shocking that the Preds, now absolutely below the management of basic supervisor Barry Trotz after 20-plus years of David Poile on the helm, determined now was the correct time to maneuver on from Tomasino. He nonetheless hasn’t come near sniffing his career-highs of 11 objectives and 32 factors in 76 video games that he set in his rookie marketing campaign in 2021-22.
Nonetheless, it stands to motive for Pittsburgh that there’s a good quantity of rebound and breakout potential in Tomasino’s sport if he’s deployed in a top-nine function. The ahead has 23 objectives and 71 factors in 159 video games over his four-year profession – a 12-goal, 37-point common over 82 video games squarely in bottom-six utilization.
All through his Predators profession, Tomasino’s possession impacts had been negligible. He boasts a profession +1 score, and Nashville managed 49.6% of shot makes an attempt with him on the ice at even power since his debut, in comparison with 48.7% with out him.
With the Pens’ offense struggling to click on at 2.52 objectives per sport, Tomasino could get a glance within the high 9 and even high six alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin to see how he responds in a complementary function. His leash will doubtless be brief. He signed a one-year, $825K deal firstly of coaching camp to finish a months-long standoff as a restricted free agent, so he’s susceptible to being non-tendered subsequent summer season if he can’t carry out in Pittsburgh, particularly since he’s eligible to file for wage arbitration.
Pittsburgh beforehand acquired the Rangers’ 2027 fourth-rounder ultimately yr’s commerce deadline in change for defenseman Chad Ruhwedel.
