Today the Nashville Predators announced that forward Phil Tomasino has been reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals.
While it's a roster move that may not be shocking, it is a decision that will have plenty of Nashville Predators fans concerned. The 22-year-old Ontario native is in his third NHL season, but his professional career trajectory with the Predators has certainly not been linear.
Tomasino played 76 games in 2021-2022 under head coach John Hynes averaging 11:32 minutes per game, but in 2022-2023 Tomasino was reassigned to Milwaukee out of camp and didn't return to the Predators until mid February of that season.
When it was announced that the franchise would be undertaking a roster reset under General Manager Barry Trotz and would be focusing on the development of young talent in the Predators' pipeline under new head coach Andrew Brunette, it seemed that Tomasino would get another chance to be a consistent part of the roster. It has still been an up and down ride for Tomasino. Tomasino has been a healthy scratch for eleven of the team's 52 games so far this season.
Head coach Andrew Brunette addressed the move to reassign Tomasino after practice on Monday.
"We're just looking for that consistency in his game," Brunette said. "And it's hard to find his game on some nights when he's not ready to play. He plays eight minutes or nine minutes. [He'll] go down and play 20 minutes a night."
"I don't want him to lose too much confidence up here."
Tomasino, like several of Nashville's young players, has been streaky at times when it comes to offensive production. His play away from the puck has been a concern for Brunette, too. Consistency in Tomasino's 200 foot game is something Brunette hopes will improve with more ice time in Milwaukee.
Despite the decision to give him some time in the AHL, Brunette was positive about Tomasino's season and his future.
"Im proud of how much he's grown," Brunette said. "He's a much better player than the start of the year when we had him. So this is just another part of being a pro. Go down and play and get rewarded."
"We're in a crunch time right now," Brunette said. "Get his game right, we can use him. When he comes back, he'll be ready."
More must-reads: