Seeking an edge in their competitive battle for an NHL playoff position, the Nashville Predators have made some significant personnel moves.
The team on Monday recalled forwards Egor Afanasyev and Mark Jankowski from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League and reassigned forward Philip Tomasino to Milwaukee.
It’s disappointing news for Tomasino, 22, Nashville’s first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, who appeared to be moving in the right direction at the end of the 2022-23 season. He finished that season with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 31 games, averaging 15:31 ice time.
But Tomasino hasn’t been able to gain the trust of new Predators coach Andrew Brunette, who wanted to see improvement in Tomasino’s all-round game. He has 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 41 games this season.
He was a healthy scratch in multiple games early in the season, and Tomasino was inactive again as recently as Jan. 25 and Jan. 27. The Ontario, Canada, native had three points (two goals, one assist) in his last three games, but saw just 8:31 ice time in Nashville’s 5-4 overtime win over Arizona on Saturday.
“I just think the little things that plague him a little bit in the structure and details of our system kind of are glaring at times, so you don’t feel completely comfortable and confident enough in him in games that are tight,” Brunette said recently.
Jankowski and Afanasyev have each put together strong seasons in Milwaukee, where the Admirals are in the middle of a franchise record 14-game winning streak.
The 29-year-old Jankowski leads the Admirals with 47 points (15 goals, 32 assists) in 40 games. He ranks third in the AHL in both assists and points. Jankowski, who has played 324 NHL games over eight seasons, was named the AHL player of the month in January after totaling 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 11 games.
Afanasyev, a second-round pick of the Predators in 2019, played 17 games for Nashville last season, posting one goal.
But he’s been on a tear in the AHL this season, with 42 points (21 goals, 21 assists) in 42 games. The 6-4, 211-pound forward ranks first in Milwaukee in goals, second in points. Afanayev leads the AHL in shorthanded goals (five) and is tied for sixth in game-winning goals (six).
Heading into Tuesday’s home game against New Jersey, the Predators (27-23-2) are just outside the final Western Conference playoff spot, two points behind the eighth-place St. Louis Blues.
