Penguins/NHL
Buzz: We are definitely in new times with where things stand with the Pittsburgh Penguins when you see some of the local media and fan base getting excited about the Penguins acquiring Philip Tomasino. Kyle Dubas continues his stance of targeting former high draft picks that for a number of reasons have become change of scenery/reclamation projects. Tomasino has been one of those cases we see so often where he made some initial noise in his age 20 campaign and then has struggled to become a regular NHL player over multiple seasons that have now included two different GM’s/Head Coaches. Despite pretty good speed and ability to create 1-on-1 offense to go with solid underlying #’s, something has just been missing with Tomasino and will Mike Sullivan become the third coach to not view him as a reliable NHL player?
One evaluator advocated there’s not enough snarl in Tomasino’s game and his skill is not overwhelming enough to offset a poor all-around game. Sounds like Tomasino will fit in with Pittsburgh……… Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette pretty much called Tomasino lazy in his season ending press conference last May saying “I think he [Philip Tomasino] needs to take hold of our identity we’ve created here, and he has to have a little more of that in him…..Different times this year where he wanted the skill first without the work, I’m not sure he has a chance to play for us next season,” Brunette said…….Preds GM Barry Trotz was less critical but also cited last summer of Tomasino not being committed enough off the ice and his skill needed to match the off-ice habits……..
I get the analytic folks around here that have barely watched Tomasino but look at Tomasino’s AHL stats/ driving play/scoring chance numbers and are fawning over him, but how Nashville coaches viewed Tomasino is what you hear behind the scenes all the time of how teams see a league-wide problem with some many young players that have the skill to make it but don’t have the drive/want to do the tough work. Sam Poulin taking a few spots before Tomasino is a similar issue for Pittsburgh. Less high-end skill than Tomasino, but can skate, has an NHL body, but doesn’t have a mean trait in him on the ice and will likely never figure out how to adapt and make it at the NHL level as a 4th line level player. As one NHL source said of Tomasino, some are content to just be an AHL star.
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MORE RUMBLINGS
— The early feedback on Tomasino is Pittsburgh having the chance to hit on his skill would mean putting him immediately in the top-6 and give him an actual long-run. You sack him with fourth line minutes right away he’s likely not going to make it is a pretty big consensus among those with some background on Tomasino as a player on and off the ice.
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Trade Winds: The Penguins in recent days have been regarded as being aggressive in trying to shakeup their [hide] defensive corps. Will any move be one that moves the needle even a bit or will it be the same focus Pittsburgh has taken at the forward position? Low risk, high draft pick ‘Change of Scenery’ type targets? There was a lot of buzz around the league last night of Owen Pickering for To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! Sources say Pittsburgh scouts have filed multiple evaluation reports To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
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