Confident Tomasino Making Most of Time at Preds Development Camp

Philip Tomasino has never displayed a lack of confidence since the Predators selected him in the 2019 NHL Draft, but as the 20-year-old forward stepped on the ice Monday in Nashville for the first day of Preds Development Camp, it became clear why he is one of the most promising prospects in the system.
From his compete level drill after drill in the hour-long practice - and the smile that seemed to be affixed to his face when he wasn't showing how much faster and stronger he's become two years after he was drafted - Tomasino exuded a quiet swagger, something the Preds were delighted to see.
Many throughout the organization say Tomasino's chances of making Nashville's Opening Night roster come October have never been greater, and the Mississauga, Ontario, native can now officially be added to that list of believers with his comments following Monday's session.

"I feel like I'm ready to make that step [to the NHL], and not only make the step, but I feel like I can make a big difference on the team next year, and I'm looking forward to hopefully getting an opportunity," Tomasino said. "It was a big summer for me. I feel ready, and I'm happy to finally be down here and get going to work now. I'm excited for Development Camp and excited for main [training] camp [in September] as well."
That "big summer" for Tomasino came after the-then 19-year-old spent the entire 2020-21 season with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. That assignment wouldn't have happened for Tomasino under normal circumstances - he would have gone back to his junior team in the Ontario Hockey League instead - but with the OHL shut down due to the pandemic, he took a rather notable step in his development by playing against professional players.
Tomasino skated in 29 games with the Wolves and recorded 13 goals and 32 points, noteworthy numbers for a teenager at the time. Tomasino also represented his country at the 2021 World Junior Championship and tallied four goals and six points in seven games as Canada earned silver at the tournament.
So, exactly how much did Tomasino gain from spending all that time in the AHL? Quite a bit.
"It was huge," the 6-foot, 181-pound centerman said of the AHL experience. "I feel like I'm a pretty fast type of player, so I think I adjusted pretty well, but the biggest thing for me was guys are so much smarter and sticks are always in lanes. That was something for me that, from the junior level to the pro level, is a big difference. That maybe took me nine or 10 games to kind of adjust to, but after that, I feel like I did pretty well. I'm always trying to get better and improve my speed and improve every aspect of the game, so [playing in the AHL] was a great thing for me. It's definitely helped me grow as a player and as a person."

Of course, there is always room for improvement too, and at just 20 years of age, Tomasino still has exponential opportunities for growth in the near term. He knows he needs to continue to get faster and stronger to compete regularly at the NHL level, and in addition to those aspects, Tomasino has also been focusing on a part of his game that will simply help him get to where he's going more efficiently.
"The one thing [I've tried to work on most this summer] has been my explosiveness, maybe my first three steps," Tomasino said. "I feel like I'm pretty good at top speed, but I think if I could improve my first three steps, I could definitely go beat guys more 1-on-1, so that's something I've definitely tried to improve on throughout the summer… Then obviously we're doing a lot of battle drills this week, so I'm just trying to prove how much stronger I've gotten and how much stronger I am compared to a lot of guys here. I'm looking forward to it, and I think it's definitely going to help me in the long run for sure."
If Tomasino can put all of those attributes together in the next couple of months - and the Predators feel as though he's certainly capable of doing so - then pick No. 24 from the 2019 Draft may find himself taking up a permanent residence in the Music City come October.
"I had a talk with Phil yesterday, and he always has impressed me from the day we drafted him in terms of his maturity for a young player, but also his focus," Predators General Manager David Poile said Tuesday morning on 102.5 The Game. "He doesn't get too far ahead of himself, but he has a good way about him in terms of where he feels he's going and how he's going to get there. We've had a conversation as to what we've done in the offseason and how we've created some openings by moving some players, and basically, we're wide open to putting him on our team this year if he's ready to play. So, I like him as a player, I like him as a person and I think he's got a real good chance for making our team this year."
Tomasino isn't naive - he's well aware of the opportunity that lies before him, and he plans on taking advantage whenever he can. For now, Development Camp is the focus, and Tomasino is already showing why he may be the most NHL-ready player in Nashville who has yet to appear in the League.
He remains humble - he's still a hockey player, after all - but there's also a quiet confidence to Tomasino's game and his personality that simply works for him.
Now, it's up to him to find his way into a Gold sweater for good.
"I'm just trying to be the best player and person that I can be," Tomasino said. "I just [want to] show everyone the type of person I am and the type of player I am and just continue to get better day by day."