Colorado Avalanche: Philip Tomasino A Dynamic Two-Way Center

Canadian center Philip Tomasino is a potential draft pick for the Colorado Avalanche in the first round.

The 2019 NHL draft class is an interesting one for the Colorado Avalanche as well as all the other teams looking to make their first round selections. While the top two picks are a given after that there are a number of prospects who will need to refine their games and develop before they are NHL ready. Some of these players will certainly prove themselves and take their game to the next level to be of huge benefit to the teams that draft them. Others may not.

With two picks in the first round the Colorado Avalanche have a lot of options available to them. As a reminder here’s a full list of their 2019 picks:

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#4 (from Ottawa)
#16
#47
#63 (also from Ottawa)
#78
#140
#171
#202

Philip Tomasino doesn’t have his 18th birthday until the end of July, making him one of the youngest in this year’s draft class. As such he likely has more development time ahead of him than some of the others.

Philip Tomasino

2018-19 Team: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Date of Birth: July 28, 2001 (17 years old)
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 181 lbs.
Position: Center
Shoots: Right

Ranked #18 by HOCKEYPROSPECT.COM
Ranked #22 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Ranked #18 by ISS HOCKEY
Ranked #20 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #14 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #30 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #34 by TSN/McKenzie

Tomasino is predicted to go slightly lower than 16th in the draft, possibly even as low as the start of the second round, but he’s still an option for the Colorado Avalanche should they decide they want to invest in his development.

Hannah Stuart of The Score, however, has Tomasino going  to the Avalanche at 16th in her mock draft and says of him:

Tomasino has experience playing down the middle and on the wing, and he’s sharpened the defensive aspect of his game enough that, with his hockey sense and skating ability (he’s got terrific speed and edge work), he could very well succeed as a center at the next level. In order to do that, he’ll need to improve both his positioning and upper-body strength, but his work ethic is strong enough that that’s not as concerning as it might be for other prospects.

His need for development is something Ben Kerr of Last Word on Hockey agrees with. He says:

In the offensive zone, he shows a non-stop motor and his movement creates space for his linemates. His energy level is infectious and by being involved in nearly every scrum and battle he can drive opponents nuts. This game really works at the junior level but he is going to need to be stronger to play in the pros.

Defense is probably the area where Tomasino needs the most work but Kerr agrees with Stuart that he has the work ethic to resolve these issues:

He has trouble containing bigger forwards on the cycle. He also has a tendency to fish for the puck a bit too much and get over committed which can lead to him being beaten in one-on-one situations. Tomasino could also stand to improve his positioning and reading of the play. These are all coachable issues and his effort level suggests that he is willing to make efforts to work with good coaches to fix this.

Tomasino is already showing signs of improvement, however. Cam Robinson of Dobber Prospects says:

His developmental arc has been racing upwards while being a standout on an elite OHL team – no easy feat for a 17-year-old.

In fact, Tomasino finished his season with the IceDogs 4th for goals (34) and 5th for points (72) despite being one of the youngest members of the roster. He also represented Team Canada at the U18 World Championship and tallied a goal and 4 assists, again as one of the youngest members of the roster.

Philip Tomasino in action:

Philip Tomasino and the Colorado Avalanche

Given his young age and strong work ethic Tomasino could be a worthy investment for the Avalanche with their 16th pick. He’ll be something of a project and certainly won’t be NHL ready any time soon, but he could prove to be a solid choice for the future if the Avalanche are willing to spend the time developing him.

The 2019 NHL Draft takes place in Vancouver, with the first round on June 21 at 6pm MT and the second round on June 22 at 11am MT.