Penguins land former 1st-round pick in Predators trade
Yesterday at 07:27 PM
The Pittsburgh Penguins are languishing near the bottom of the NHL. Last week, the Penguins sparked a rebuild with the Lars Eller trade. How they approach this rebuild certainly remains to be seen. However, Pittsburgh has swung a trade with the Nashville Predators involving 23-year-old forward Philip Tomasino.
The Penguins acquired Tomasino from the Predators on Monday, the teams announced. In return, Nashville sent a fourth-round pick from the 2027 NHL Draft the other way. NHL.com notes that Tomasino hopes to practice on Tuesday with his new team. He is on a one-year contract and is a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Tomasino is a former first-round pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. He made a big impression during his rookie season, scoring 11 goals and 32 points for the Predators. However, he has seen his production drop in more recent seasons. This year, he has just one assist through 11 games.
How Philip Tomasino fits in with Penguins
Philip Tomasino may begin his Penguins tenure on the outside looking in. There are a number of veterans occupying bottom-six roles that will be hard for the 23-year-old to knock out of the lineup. However, he still brings some value to his new team that could allow him to see more of the ice.
Tomasino is a natural center, taking faceoffs and anchoring his line down the middle of the ice. However, he can also play on the wing if his team needs him to. As a result, the Penguins have some options. If they need to mix up lines, Tomasino can play multiple positions, giving the coaching staff a few different potential line combinations to work with.
As for his on-ice play, Tomasino has proven to be more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer. 48 of his 71 career points to this point in his career have come through assists. Tomasino can chip in a goal here and there when he is on his game. However, his main value comes when feeding passes to others and putting them in a position to find the back of the net.
The Penguins could have the former Predators play begin on the third line. However, there is a chance he moves up and down the lineup as things progress. If Pittsburgh needs more scoring from its second line, adding a playmaker could help spark Evgeni Malkin and Michael Bunting.
Where Tomasino plays on the Penguins remains to be seen. But he is only 23 years old and could certainly still have some potential. This trade has the potential to be a low-risk, high-reward move for Pittsburgh moving forward.
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