CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Penguins general manager/president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has made a second trade in as many weeks.
Following a trade that sent Lars Eller to Washington on Nov. 12, the Penguins acquired forward Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators on Monday in return for a 2027 fourth-round pick, which they had attained in the Chad Ruhwedel trade last season.
Tomasino was Nashville’s first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Coincidentally, the Penguins sent their first-round pick in that draft — Samuel Poulin — back to AHL Wilkes-Barre to make room on the roster for Tomasino.
The 23-year-old Tomasino has scored 23 goals in 159 NHL games. He’s another example of a young player with a strong pedigree but an unremarkable start in the NHL whom Dubas has taken a chance on. Dubas also acquired first-round draft picks Cody Glass and Jesse Puljujarvi on the cheap.
Dubas’ Penguins are struggling mightily and are in last place in the Metropolitan Division. While Dubas isn’t in the habit of trading away draft picks, he deemed it worthy for a player with potential who can join his team immediately.
The plan is for Tomasino to practice with the Penguins on Tuesday and likely play on Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks. The 6-foot, 179-pound forward is a native of Mississauga, Ontario. He enjoyed a standout Ontario Hockey League career with Niagara and Oshawa.
Why the trade makes sense
Say what you will about some of the moves Dubas has made during his 18 months as Penguins general manager. Some of the moves, notably contracts for Tristan Jarry and Ryan Graves, have been failures. He is, however, making wise decisions in terms of identifying young, talented players who could find a home in Pittsburgh. In this trade, he gave up only a fourth-round pick for more than two years from now, which seems very reasonable.
Tomasino is making only $825,000 this season, so he fits under the salary cap.
Where does Tomasino fit?
Because he can play any forward position, there aren’t too many places where Tomasino wouldn’t fit. I imagine he’ll slide into the Penguins’ bottom six, where offense has been difficult to find. Very few spots are off limits on the Penguins roster these days, so he’ll be allowed to shine in several roles.
(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
