This was not the blockbuster trade for a center everyone was hoping for, but the Philadelphia Flyers again managed to get the best of their trade partners, this time fleecing the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Wednesday, the Flyers finally parted ways with the struggling Egor Zamula, swapping the defenseman for Penguins forward Phil Tomasino, who had been buried in the AHL himself this season.
Zamula, 25, had worn out his welcome in Philadelphia, and there wasn't much more to it than that.
The formerly undrafted Russian defender hadn't progressed as the team had hoped over the last few seasons and, having to impress a new coaching staff with Rick Tocchet and Todd Reirden, ultimately played his way off the NHL roster entirely.
Instead, journeyman Noah Juulsen carved out a role for himself as the No. 7 defenseman; Emil Andrae, who didn't even make the Flyers out of training camp, has established himself as one of Tocchet and Reirden's go-to defenders, and Ty Murchison, who earned a brief two-game cameo in the wake of a Cam York injury, proved himself as a better option and kept the vastly more experienced Zamula in the press box.
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In short: there was no further reason to keep Zamula around, even at the AHL level, and the Flyers agreed.
As for the new guy, Tomasino, 24, is a 2019 first-round pick who now finds himself on his third team in less than two full seasons.
The 6-foot, right-shot forward is a strong skater with a solid offensive toolbox, but, given his age, is unlikely to be an impact player at the NHL level.
That said, the Flyers have long coveted speed at the center position, and the versatile Tomasino can slot in at that position if needed and proceed from there.
Astute fans may recall that the 24-year-old, who was traded to the Penguins by the Nashville Predators early last season, was quietly very productive for Pittsburgh, scoring 11 goals, 12 assists, and 23 points in 50 games.
That scoring luck obviously ran out this season, with an assist in nine NHL games earning him another stint in the AHL.
Overall, though, with 23 goals and 95 points in 218 games across five seasons (nearly a 41-point pace per 82 games), it's hard to imagine the Flyers not giving the former 24th overall pick a chance at the NHL level at some point; the Flyers stated Tomasino will start in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
During the aforementioned productive stint with the Penguins last season, Tomasino's underlying numbers, per Evolving-Hockey, showed that he actually deserved a bit better in terms of bounces at both ends of the ice. If the Flyers can unlock that player, even without the deserved bounces, that's a legitimate middle-six piece worth keeping around.
After Jett Luchanko had been sent back to the OHL early in the season, the Flyers had recalled Jacob Gaucher, citing a need for a right-shot center.
The Gaucher experiment didn't last long, but the Flyers now have another one in their ranks who is far more talented offensively.
With time, and a positive first impression in the organization, Tomasino is someone who can push a player like Rodrigo Abols for a spot in the lineup.
And all those potential opportunities came at the cost of Zamula, who could have just left the organization and walked away via a mutual contract termination, as was reported to have been offered to the Flyers.
Tomasino has one year remaining on his contract at a $1.75 million cap hit and will not be an unrestricted free agent until 2029.