Penguins Add Tomasino: A Fresh Start for the Young Forward

Acquiring Philip Tomasino from the Predators for a 2027 fourth-round pick accomplished a couple of objectives for the Penguins, as far as transitioning younger players into the fold while also doing everything they can to become more competitive.

“He has a whole lot of potential moving forward,” Head Coach Mike Sullivan said of the 23-year-old forward, Nashville’s 2019 first-round pick. “So, sometimes in a different environment, players can find their respective games and can thrive.”

Tomasino came directly to Pittsburgh from New Jersey, with the Predators playing the Devils last night. Cody Glass, who became best friends with Tomasino when they were teammates and linemates in Nashville, FaceTimed him right away.

“Just starting off as a person, he’s a great guy. He’s young, energetic,” Glass said. “Me and him got along really well. He plays a great offensive game. Very skilled, good speed, strong on pucks. I had a lot of fun playing with him, so it’s really cool that he’s here.”

Glass and his wife Bailey are hosting Tomasino – who currently has just one suit with him clothing-wise – for dinner tonight following his first practice with the team. Tomasino said it’s great to have an “awesome guy and awesome teammate” helping him out off the ice as he adjusts to his new surroundings following the first trade of his career.

"It's been unique. I don't even know how to describe it. Just exciting,” Tomasino said after getting off the ice. “Obviously, I've been in Nashville since Day 1... it feels a little bit different. I'm really excited, man. It's a great place to play. I've always loved playing here on the road. So, looking forward to tomorrow night here."

During the session, Tomasino skated on a line with Evgeni Malkin, which was a pretty surreal experience considering his hockey fandom as a kid.

“He's a legend. I mean, honestly, Pittsburgh was my favorite team growing up, so watching Sid and Geno was like my whole childhood,” Tomasino said. “So, it's kind of crazy to be on a line with him today. It's awesome. Another guy I've looked up to and a heck of a player.”

Sullivan said Tomasino thinks the game well, especially on the offensive side, so they feel like he could complement Geno. “There might be some chemistry there, and there might not. But we'll wait and see. But we thought we would try to put him in a position where he has an opportunity to play to his strengths,” Sullivan said.

For Tomasino, it’s about taking advantage of every opportunity he gets with this new team. He didn’t want to get into specifics about his time in Nashville, saying he thinks everything happens for a reason, and that Pittsburgh should be a good fit for him.

“Obviously, the last two years for me haven't been what I wanted it to be in a perfect world,” said Tomasino, who scored 11 goals over the past two seasons after hitting 11 his rookie year. “But all I can look forward to is a future here and I think it's going to be really good, a really good group.... Obviously, don't know too much about what's been going on here, but obviously, we had kind of a similar thing in Nashville.

“For me, all I want to focus on is doing all I can to help the team win. I mean, be a guy our coach can trust in any situation. I think my game is more on the offensive side, I think. I think that's where I can use my speed and help generate chances off the rush. I think it can definitely be a spark plug for this group."