Forward Phil Tomasino did not make the Predators final roster and will begin the season with the Milwaukee Admirals.
In a move most didn't see coming before the preseason, young forward Phil Tomasino will be starting the 2022-2023 season playing with the AHL Milwaukee Admirals.
Tomasino was drafted by Nashville with their 24th overall pick in 2019 and made the Predators roster out of camp in 2021 as a 20 year old. Tomasino played only 29 games at the AHL level with the Chicago Wolves in the COVID modified season, but impressed in training camp in Nashville with his athleticism, puck handing, and offensive talent despite his age.
In his first NHL season he played 76 games and scored 11 goals while recording 21 assists. Tomasino spent most of his time playing on Nashville's fourth line and was a healthy scratch at times by head coach John Hynes. His development was evident as his game improved through the season, and he played in three of the four postseason games against Colorado.
There was speculation that Tomasino could perhaps win a spot on a retooled second line this preseason with Ryan Johansen and newcomer Nino Niederreiter. Tomasino played with the two in early intersquad scrimmages at training camp and against the Florida Panthers in the preseason, but the results weren't always as good as Johansen and perhaps Hynes had hoped for.
"We've got some work to do," Johansen said of the three after the preseason game together. "It was a little too sloppy. We have to be sharper as a line and just do more on the ice and create more on the ice."
"Collectively, the three of us are going to bed and showing up to our next practice knowing that we've got to put in some more work to find a way to perform better on the ice."
John Hynes played several other forwards on the second line as camp went on that seemed to generate better offensive chances and match playing styles more seamlessly. With Kiefer Sherwood earning time with Niederreiter and Johansen and a wealth of competition for the fourth line, Tomasino ended up being a healthy scratch at the first two games of the regular season in Prague.
While the move to send Tomasino to Milwaukee may be a surprise, it isn't by any means a statement about Tomasino's future with the Predators. After a disappointing start with the Predators last season, center Cody Glass spent the majority of his time in Milwaukee in 2021-2022, and the time with Karl Taylor and the coaching staff there helped reinvigorate his game. Glass showed up at training camp this summer playing some of the best hockey of his career. It would not be surprising to see Tomasino have a similar experience, although it is quite possible Tomasino could be called back up to Nashville sooner rather than later after valuable time with the Admirals.