Oct 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula (5) chases the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins center Noel Acciari (55) in the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
In return Flyers get former first round pick Philip Tomasino
The Flyers finally found a trade partner for Egor Zamula, and they didn't have to look all that far away.
Just before the final game of 2025, the Flyers sent Zamula to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for right wing Philip Tomasino.
Zamula, 25, has been on the outs for quite some time with the Flyers. There was consideration of trading him as far back as last season's trade deadline, but the Flyers held onto him, and through the summer and into this season - mostly out of a depth need with Rasmus Ristolainen recovering from a lengthy triceps injury.
Zamula played in 13 games this season for the Flyers, and picked up one assist, but he fell way down the depth chart. Ristolainen came back and Emil Andrae earned a regular spot in the lineup.
Noah Juulsen is the No. 7 defenseman. Phantoms defensemen Ty Murchison and Ada Ginning would be No 8 and No. 9 and the Flyers have a few youngsters right behind them, which made Zamula expendable.
He was placed on waivers last week and went unclaimed. Flyers General Manager Danny Briere was looking for a trade partner to keep Zamula in the NHL rather than terminating his contract so he could go play in the KHL.
Finally, he was able to work out a deal for Tomasino, 24, who is another tweener who bounces around from the AHL to the NHL.
A first round pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2019 NHL draft (No. 24 overall), Tomasino has played in 218 career games between the Preds and Penguins. He has 34 goals and 61 assists for 95 points.
Philip Tomasino has had a tremendous start through five games with the penguins:
• 3 goals, 1 assist (primary)
• 4 points
• 3 goals in last 4 games (4-game pt streak)
• 15 shots in his last 4 games (most among fwds)
I would say, he just needed a change of scenery. pic.twitter.com/UFyJR6N4V7
His best season was his rookie campaign in Nashville, when he posted 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 76 games for the Predators in 2021-22.
He matched that 11-goal total, a career high, last season with the Penguins in just 50 games. He has spent the majority of this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL.
A restricted free agent after the season, Tomasino is making $600,000 this season, according to Cap Wages. Zamula was making $550,000.
Tomasino will report to Lehigh Valley, but at least adds another NHL caliber depth forward to the organization, much like Carl Grundstrom, who after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Ryan Ellis salary dump, has scored seven goals in 12 games since being recalled.
