Nashville Predators Prospect Philip Tomasino is Lighting It Up in OHL
By Chad Minton
With the Nashville Predators off this week, let’s venture back into how the future is looking. Philip Tomasino is leading the way in the OHL.
The 2019 first-round pick for the Nashville Predators is ripping through the OHL right now and drawing a lot of buzz about his future potential. With the trade deadline approaching, who knows how much different the forwards are going to look on the Predators roster in just a few months from now.
Philip Tomasino was taken 24th overall in this past year’s NHL Entry Draft, and has since been playing in the Ontario Hockey League for Niagara and Oshawa. He was just recently traded earlier this month from Niagara to Oshawa in exchange for nine draft picks, which is incredible in itself and shows you how high of a regard Tomasino is regarded in.
Just since the trade Tomasino has racked up 15 points and eight goals. This is looking more and more like a solid steal of a pick for the Predators in each game we see him play for Niagara and now Oshawa.
What Tomasino’s game brings
Tomasino has eye-opening speed, puck handling ability and overall ice vision on both ends. He generates offense and forces the action, hence why he’s piling up so many goals right now. He’s up to 30 goals on this current season in just 42 games.
Nashville Predators
When the Predators originally made this pick last summer, I was all for it. The fact that a player with this kind of upside and how much his game is already developed made me somewhat surprised he fell to the grasp of the Predators at 24th overall.
Tomasino just turned 18-years-old last summer and is perhaps the most enticing Predators prospect currently, along with another name in Egor Afanasyev.
Check out this full and in-depth scouting report that was done on Tomasino before the draft, from Tony Ferrari of DobberProspects.com.
This is one of the best scouting reports I’ve come across on Tomasino and it’s translating accurately to what he’s producing on the ice this current season. He’s a speedster that pushes the offensive action and has such a high-ceiling as a top-six forward in his future on the NHL level.
Take a look at Tomasino’s hat trick just last month when he was still playing for Niagara. It’s a fun one to watch,
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I could be completely wrong on this comparison, but I think about
a lot when I watch Tomasino. He’ll grow more into his physical frame at just 18-years-old, but his style of play to go along with his speed gives me this comparison. I’ll take that all the way to the bank if he becomes that type of player.
Don’t be surprised at all if we see Tomasino on the NHL level at some point next season as he continues to evolve his game and develop into an outstanding all-around player. You never know for sure until they get to the NHL, but it appears as of now that the Predators struck gold with this first-round pick.