Toronto Maple Leafs waiver claim Philip Tomasino: what the move means for the roster and the player

The Toronto Maple Leafs shook up their forward depth chart on Monday by winning the waiver claim on 23-year-old winger Philip Tomasino, plucking the 2019 first-round pick away from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The transaction, announced just after the 2 p.m. ET deadline, gives the Leafs a cost-controlled, right-shot scorer who has produced at every level but has yet to cement an NHL foothold. For a cap-strapped club always hunting for cheap offence, it is the kind of low-risk, medium-reward bet general manager Brad Treliving has shown he is willing to make.

Tomasino arrives with 150 games of NHL experience, 29 goals and 68 points split between Nashville and Pittsburgh, and a résumé that still oozes pedigree: 34-goal, 75-point campaign in his final OHL season, back-to-back 20-goal AHL seasons, and a world-junior gold medal with Team Canada. The question now is whether a fresh start in Toronto can unlock the next step in his development, and where new head coach Craig Berube slots a player who has been buried on fourth lines or scratched entirely for much of 2024-25.

Toronto Maple Leafs waiver claim Philip Tomasino: scouting the newest Leaf

Speed and skill profile

Tomasino’s calling card is north-south pace. He wins foot races, attacks the middle with speed, and owns a quick-release wrist shot that he disguises well through screens. According to Elite Prospects, his 10.6 shooting percentage at 5-on-5 over the last two seasons sits just above league average for forwards, and his isolated expected goals-for impact ranks in the 65th percentile among wingers with 500-plus minutes. Those numbers won’t jump off the page, but they suggest an ability to tilt the ice without premium deployment.

Defensive growth

The knock on Tomasino early in his career was a tendency to float in his own end. Pittsburgh’s player development staff worked with him on stick-positioning drills and wall battles last summer, and the early returns were promising: his defensive-zone retrievals per 60 jumped from 4.1 to 5.7, and his slot-pass suppression rate improved by nearly 12 percent, per Natural Stat Trick. Berube, who demands layered defensive structure, will likely keep that progress on a short leash; the coach benched Bobby McMann for a single missed rotation earlier this month.

Special-teams fit

While Tomasino has only 38 minutes of NHL power-play time on his ledger, the Marlies staff used him as a bumper/weak-side one-timer option during his 2023 conditioning stint, where he scored five goals with the man advantage in 11 games. Toronto’s second unit—currently featuring Max Domi at the half-wall and Matthew Knies at the net-front—could swap in Tomasino’s right-handed shot for a different look, especially if the Leafs continue to struggle with zone entries against aggressive penalty kills.

How the Toronto Maple Leafs waiver claim Philip Tomasino affects the lineup

Immediate roster math

Because Tomasino carries a $775,000 cap hit for the remainder of 2024-25, the Leafs can fit him under the accrual threshold without additional moves. He slides into the 23-man roster, pushing Ryan Reaves to the taxi squad and giving Toronto 13 healthy forwards. That flexibility matters: the club is currently banking cap space daily with the intention of adding at the trade deadline, and every dollar counts.

Line combinations to watch

Berube hinted after morning skate that he wants to evaluate Tomasino beside David Kämpf and Noah Gregor on what would amount to a “soft-match” third line. The trio would be tasked with neutralizing opposing top trios, freeing John Tavares’ line for more offensive zone starts. If Tomasino can outscore that 8-10 minute deployment, the Leafs suddenly have three lines they trust in different situations—something they lacked during last spring’s seven-game loss to Boston.

Waiver-exempt dominoes

Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson are both waiver-exempt, so the Leafs can shuttle either to the AHL without risk if Tomasino sticks. Robertson, who has been a healthy scratch in three of the last five games, is the likelier candidate for a short-term Marlies stint to maintain game rhythm. The move also buys time for prospect Easton Cowan to dominate junior another year rather than be rushed into a depth role.

What the Toronto Maple Leafs waiver claim Philip Tomasino means for the player

Fresh start narrative

Tomasino spoke to reporters on a Zoom call Monday evening and admitted the waiver process was “nerve-racking,” but he quickly pivoted to optimism. “You grow up watching the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada,” he said. “The building is going to be alive every night, and I’m ready to show I can help a team win.” That mindset aligns with the chip-on-the-shoulder attitude Treliving has targeted since July; the GM believes players with something to prove fit the city’s pressure cooker better than those who have grown comfortable.

Off-ice support system

Toronto’s player development department, led by Hayley Wickenheiser, has built a reputation for resurrecting stalled prospects. Recent examples include McMann (undrafted free agent to 15-goal NHLer) and Alex Steeves (NCAA walk-on to AHL star). Tomasino will have access to the club’s biomechanics lab and a dedicated skills coach who travels with the taxi squad, resources that were unavailable in Nashville’s smaller market setup. One Western Conference scout told The Athletic the change “could be worth five or six goals over a full season, just from better habits.”

Contract stakes

Because Tomasino’s current deal expires this summer, he is essentially auditioning for either his next contract or a raise in arbitration. A 10-goal, 25-point pace down the stretch would position him for a $1.5 million qualifying offer, while a quieter cameo could lead to a non-tender and a trip to unrestricted free agency. That urgency works in Toronto’s favour: the player has every incentive to earn trust quickly, and the club holds control of his rights if the experiment succeeds.

Long-term view: could the Toronto Maple Leafs waiver claim Philip Tomasino become a steal?

Comparable paths

History is littered with late-bloomers claimed on waivers who turned into core pieces. Two recent examples: Carter Verhaeghe (Tampa Bay to Florida) and Mason Marchment (Toronto to Florida). Both were 24-year-old tweeners when switched teams, then exploded for 30-goal campaigns after receiving consistent middle-six minutes. Tomasino’s underlying metrics are eerily similar to Verhaeghe’s pre-breakout profile, and the Leafs can offer the same ingredient the Panthers did—protected offensive zone usage behind star centres.

Expansion-draft calculus

If Tomasino flourishes, he also solves a 2026 Seattle expansion-draft headache. Teams must expose at least one forward who played 70 games the prior season or is signed through 2026-27. A cheap, productive Tomasino checks that box, allowing Toronto to protect an extra core piece. That long-term value was not lost on the front office; assistant GM Brandon Pridham runs cap-simulation models years into the future, and the claim fits neatly inside them.

Risk assessment

The downside is minimal. If Tomasino fails to stick, the Leafs can place him back on waivers or simply let him walk July 1. They surrender no draft capital, take on zero dead cap, and still gain information about a former first-rounder in the prime development window. In a league where deadline rentals routinely cost second-round picks, a free flier on a 23-year-old with 30-goal pedigree is the kind of asymmetric bet championship windows demand.

The Toronto Maple Leafs waiver claim Philip Tomasino may not dominate headlines the way a blockbuster trade would, but it underscores the modern NHL’s hidden-in-plain-sight market inefficiency: talented young players trapped on crowded depth charts. If Berube can coax even league-average production from his newest winger, the Leafs will have added a cost-controlled asset at the exact moment their stars need support. And for Tomasino, the opportunity is equally stark—prove you belong in the league’s biggest spotlight, or risk watching it pass you by. Puck drop Wednesday against Buffalo will be the first chapter of what both sides hope is a mutually beneficial story.