Why Philip Tomasino Has a Real Shot to Crack the Senators' Roster

The Ottawa Senators have a new name to watch as training camp competition heats up: forward Philip Tomasino, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the club and has been turning heads early in camp.

Who is Philip Tomasino

Tomasino, 24, is from Mississauga, Ontario. He was a first-round pick, 24th overall, by the Nashville Predators in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he has played 218 NHL games over the past five seasons. That pedigree gives him a higher ceiling than a typical training camp invite fighting for a bottom-six job.

His last NHL season, though, was rough. Tomasino split the 2025-26 campaign between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers organizations, recording just one point in nine NHL games. He was far more productive in the minors, putting up 41 points in 52 AHL games, evidence that the scoring touch that made him a first-rounder hasn't disappeared, even if it hasn't translated back to the NHL level recently.

Making his case in camp

Now he's trying to prove himself again in Ottawa. During Senators training camp, Tomasino has been skating on a line with Shane Pinto and Nick Cousins as he fights for a roster spot.

A two-way contract means Tomasino isn't guaranteed anything. That gives the Senators flexibility to give him a real look in exhibition games without committing a full-time NHL roster spot in advance.

A crowded camp battle

Tomasino isn't the only player Ottawa is sorting out this month. ottown's earlier report detailed how rookie defenceman Carter Yakemchuk faces a Monday deadline on whether he makes the opening night roster or heads back to Belleville himself. And the Senators' goaltending picture shifted this week too: ottown's earlier report covered goaltender Leevi Merilainen being placed on waivers after a rough preseason outing against Toronto.

All of it points to a Senators camp with genuine competition for jobs rather than a roster that's already settled. For a player like Tomasino, a former first-rounder with NHL scoring pedigree but a disappointing recent season, that kind of open competition is exactly the opportunity he needs.

Ottawa fans will get a clearer picture of where Tomasino stands as the preseason schedule winds down and final roster decisions approach.

Sources: Ottawa Senators (NHL.com, official)