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Philip Tomasino opens up about struggles in emotional interview just hours before waiver move
Photo credit: Edit from PensBurgh
Just hours before being placed on waivers, Philip Tomasino opened up about his struggles and how he wants to turn his season around.
Things did not appear much different for Philip Tomasino on this particular Tuesday morning at practice in Cranberry.
Tomasino was one of the first players on the ice and among the last to leave, a common sight throughout this season of trials that have tested Tomasino in every way imaginable.
"You look back at the preseason, I felt like I was making a lot of plays and obviously producing," Tomasino said Tuesday prior to being waived. "For me right now, the mindset is day by day. I think the last game (Sunday's 4-0 neutral site win against the Nashville Predators in Stockholm) was a step in the right direction. There's still a lot more to go but just trying to build off of every day. Maybe things haven't gone the way that maybe I had planned. But I think things are hopefully going in the right direction for me from here on out."
Tomasino has been a healthy scratch quite a bit
Tomasino's played the last 10 of the 19 games because of scratches and hasn't struggled due to lack of effort.
He's worked hard, hoping that the game could click at the right time. What wasn't routine for Tomasino's day was the waiver notice later today.
As the Penguins have several injured players on the brink of a comeback, this roster move offers them flexibility. Tomasino may be assigned to the AHL if he goes unclaimed on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Why there is still optimism for a team to take a chance on Philip Tomasino
Through nine games this season, he's recorded only one assist and played an average of only 12:10 per game, a sharp departure from the preseason, during which he racked up five points over five games. His play last season provided genuine optimism.
Acquired on November 25, 2024, from Nashville in exchange for a fourth-round draft choice in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, Tomasino got on track with the Penguins with 23 points in 50 contests and six GWGs, the second-most on the team behind only Sidney Crosby.
Off-season activity involved contract negotiations, with Pittsburgh passing on the qualifying offer because of the costly nature of an impending arbitration hearing before agreeing on a one-year contract worth $1.75 million.
Tomasino's immediate future now depends on the waiver decision that will come on Wednesday. Either way, the next chapter of Tomasino's life begins shortly.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 18 | 99 ANSWERS Philip Tomasino opens up about struggles in emotional interview just hours before waiver move Will Philip Tomasino get claimed on waivers? | ||
| Yes | 51 | 51.5 % |
| No | 48 | 48.5 % |
| List of polls | ||