Flyers ship Egor Zamula to Penguins for former first-round pick Philip Tomasino

It finally happened. What had been trending in this direction for weeks became official on Wednesday, as the Philadelphia Flyers moved on from Egor Zamula, trading the defenseman to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Philip Tomasino.

Flyers ship Egor Zamula to Penguins for former first-round pick Philip Tomasino

TRADE ALERT: We have acquired forward Philip Tomasino from Pittsburgh in exchange for defenseman Egor Zamula. Tomasino will report to the @LVPhantoms (AHL). https://t.co/Y5euAzx0o7

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) December 31, 2025

Zamula’s exit felt inevitable the moment he cleared waivers and was sent down to Lehigh Valley earlier this month. For a player who hadn’t suited up for the Phantoms since the 2022–23 season, that demotion was a pretty loud signal that his place in the organization had slipped.

The Flyers’ blue line picture has changed quickly, and Zamula simply got passed.

The emergence of Emil Andrae, a healthy Rasmus Ristolainen, and even recent call-ups like Ty Murchison all pushed Zamula further down the depth chart. Once that happened, the writing was on the wall. A change of scenery was probably the best outcome for both sides.

Zamula leaves Philadelphia after appearing in 168 games over parts of six seasons. He finishes his Flyers tenure with eight goals, 33 assists, and a minus-12 rating. At times, his size and reach were intriguing, but consistency in the defensive zone and moving the puck with pace were ongoing issues. He is now in the final year of a two-year, $3.4 million contract as he heads to Pittsburgh looking for a reset.

Coming back the other way is Tomasino, a former first-round pick who still carries upside. Selected 24th overall by Nashville in the 2019 draft, Tomasino showed promise early, posting 32 points as a rookie in 2021–22. Since then, his career has stalled a bit, bouncing from the Predators to the Penguins and now to the Flyers in less than two seasons.

Tomasino is just 24 years old and brings speed and offensive instincts that the Flyers can afford to take a look at. He has played only nine NHL games this season, but he has been productive in the AHL, putting up 15 points in 14 games with Wilkes-Barre Scranton. Interestingly enough, he has also done some of his best NHL damage against Philadelphia, scoring five goals in seven career games versus the Flyers.

For now, Tomasino will report to the Phantoms on a one-year, $1.75 million deal, giving the Flyers another low-risk option to evaluate as they continue reshaping the roster. Zamula gets a fresh start. Tomasino gets another opportunity. And the Flyers continue quietly turning over the depth chart, one move at a time.

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