From the Pensburgh article about the trade….no attention to detail, check…no understanding of team structure and how to play within it, check…he’ll fit right in here lol
“Brunette, who has regularly praised Tomasino’s skill but criticized his ability to fit into the Preds’ system, said in February that the forward’s limited ice time was a matter of “trust.”
“The little things that plague him a little bit, the structures and details of our system, are glaring at times,” Brunette said on Feb. 1 (h/t Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean.) “So you don’t feel completely comfortable and confident in games that are tight. He’s gotten much better as the season has progressed, but for us to lean on him late in games, he needs to find another level.”
Tomasino was sent to the AHL season 11 days later. He was not called up again for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
When asked later in the spring about the forward’s development, Brunette expressed some uncertainty Tomasino would be NHL-ready for the 2024-25 season.
“I think he needs to [take] hold of our identity we’ve created here, and he has to have a little bit more of that in him,” Brunette said in May (h/t John Glennon of the Nashville Post.) “If he can, and if he puts the work in, and he’s relentless, then his skill will take over.
Brunette continued: “At different times this year where he wanted the skill first without the work, I’m not sure he has a chance to play for us next year... I hope he rises to the moment, and I believe he will.”
Tomasino received a regular role on the Preds’ third line during training camp this September, and Brunette said in October that the winger had improved his skating and his strength on the puck over the summer.
That optimism lasted only until late October. Tomasino once again saw his ice time steadily decrease over the early stretch of the season as he became a regular healthy scratch.
His shift charts through 2024-25 so far tell the story of a player who still had yet to earn the trust of his coach. Tomasino was used sparingly in close games, and saw the most skating time late in blowouts.“
www.pensburgh.com
“Brunette, who has regularly praised Tomasino’s skill but criticized his ability to fit into the Preds’ system, said in February that the forward’s limited ice time was a matter of “trust.”
“The little things that plague him a little bit, the structures and details of our system, are glaring at times,” Brunette said on Feb. 1 (h/t Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean.) “So you don’t feel completely comfortable and confident in games that are tight. He’s gotten much better as the season has progressed, but for us to lean on him late in games, he needs to find another level.”
Tomasino was sent to the AHL season 11 days later. He was not called up again for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
When asked later in the spring about the forward’s development, Brunette expressed some uncertainty Tomasino would be NHL-ready for the 2024-25 season.
“I think he needs to [take] hold of our identity we’ve created here, and he has to have a little bit more of that in him,” Brunette said in May (h/t John Glennon of the Nashville Post.) “If he can, and if he puts the work in, and he’s relentless, then his skill will take over.
Brunette continued: “At different times this year where he wanted the skill first without the work, I’m not sure he has a chance to play for us next year... I hope he rises to the moment, and I believe he will.”
Tomasino received a regular role on the Preds’ third line during training camp this September, and Brunette said in October that the winger had improved his skating and his strength on the puck over the summer.
That optimism lasted only until late October. Tomasino once again saw his ice time steadily decrease over the early stretch of the season as he became a regular healthy scratch.
His shift charts through 2024-25 so far tell the story of a player who still had yet to earn the trust of his coach. Tomasino was used sparingly in close games, and saw the most skating time late in blowouts.“
Pens add another former first-round pick in Tomasino trade
A look at where Tomasino’s development in Nashville went awry, and what the Pens are hoping to see from him in Pittsburgh.
www.pensburgh.com
