Predators Re-sign fans Favorite Defenseman for $15.7 Million
The Nashville Predators have signed their final remaining restricted free agent one day before the team is set to participate in its first on-ice session of training camp.
According to a team announcement, Nashville has agreed to a one-year, $825K contract with center Philip Tomasino.
It’s been a difficult few years for the former 24th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Tomasino became a full-time member of the Predators roster relatively quickly after securing a point-per-game season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2020-2021.
He was a promising depth scorer for the Predators during his rookie season in 2021-2022, with 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games while averaging 11:32 minutes of ice time per night.
Tomasino’s versatility up front allowed Nashville to move him from his natural position at center, which took some pressure off the young forward. He finished seventh on the team in scoring and was looking for more responsibility in his sophomore season.
In a somewhat confusing decision by the Predators, Tomasino did not make the team out of training camp for the 2022-2023 NHL season and wasn’t recalled until Feb. 13 of that year. He was nearly a point-per-game player with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, with 12 goals and 32 points in 38 contests, but he received little interest in Nashville despite the team struggling on offense.
Tomasino finished the 2022-2023 regular season with five goals and 18 points in 31 games, averaging nearly four minutes more ice time than his rookie year.
Despite the Predators becoming one of the league’s better offensive teams under new head coach Andrew Brunette, Tomasino’s output plummeted. He scored seven goals and 20 points through 41 games for Nashville while posting 11 goals and 18 points in 21 games with Milwaukee.
In early May, Brunette publicly called out Tomasino when he said, “If he continues to have the skill without the work, I don’t think he has a chance to play with us next year.“
One would reasonably assume from that quote that Tomasino has an outside chance of making Nashville’s roster this season unless his work ethic has dramatically improved.
The team had a busy offseason and has expectations for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year so it is not in a position to have any slack on offense. It may be much of the same for Tomasino by starting the year in Milwaukee and trying to force Nashville’s hand on a call-up.