After a third consecutive season of missing the playoffs, the long offseason was a grueling one for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Players were eager to get back in action, and some knew they were going to have to come into training camp this season with a purpose.
And one of those players is forward Philip Tomasino, who was brought back on a one-year deal this summer.
“I feel great. Really happy to be back, and really excited for this year,” Tomasino said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for all of us, but especially for myself.”
He added: “I feel like I’m ready to take that next step in my game, and I’m really looking forward to this year.”
Tomasino, 24, was acquired from the Nashville Predators last November, and – while he got off to a hot start – it was a season of a good amount of ups and a few downs. The 6-foot, 187-pound forward – drafted 24th overall by the Predators in 2019 – registered 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games with Pittsburgh after putting up just one point in 11 games with Nashville last season. He was a healthy scratch at one point later on in the season, but he also saw time in the top-six alongside Evgeni Malkin and displayed some chemistry with the future Hall-of-Fame center.
However, with the emergence of top prospects Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty – who is currently out indefinitely with an upper-body injury – as well as the free agent signing of Anthony Mantha, it’s going to be a battle for Tomasino to assert himself in a top-six role. Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are all but guaranteed to flank Malkin and Sidney Crosby, and there are already precious few roster spots to begin with to go along with a crowded training camp roster.
But, for Tomasino, all of that is just noise. He understands that there is a ton of competition in training camp this season and that no roster spot is safe or secure. But he’s not letting that deter him from focusing on his own goals and what he needs to do to prove himself to the organization and a new coaching staff.
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“There is competition. But, regardless of wherever you are, there’s competition everywhere,” Tomasino said. “It’s the best thing in the world. So, for me, I’m not focused on anyone else.
“Right now, I’m just focused on what I can do every day to be the best version of myself and just go out there and compete as hard as I can because I know I can play, and I know I can help this team win from the start of the year to the end. It’s always good to have competition, but I’m just focused on everything I can do to push myself to reach that next step for me.”
And for him, that next step is showing that he be a part of the picture in returning this team back to contention. Tomasino is happy to be in Pittsburgh, and he wants to make the most of the opportunity he was given with that contract this summer.
“Overall, I’m just really happy with how the process played out.,” Tomasino said. “It’s another opportunity for me to prove myself to everyone here. I’m just really grateful for this opportunity, and I’m definitely going to try to make the most out of it.
“There’s no other place I’d rather be.”
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On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their 2025 training camp with a few words from general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas.
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