Trades out of nowhere can be fun, but they can also be head-scratchers. Late tonight (March 5), the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators announced they had completed a multi-player trade that included Tommy Novak and Luke Schenn going to the Penguins and Michael Bunting going to the Predators. Here are the full details.
On the surface, you probably look at this trade and think, “What?” That’s the case for the Predators, but that’s not necessarily the case for the Penguins. This seems like a solid deal for them, but the same can’t be said for the Predators.
Penguins Bet on Novak Bounce-Back
I think it’s pretty clear that Kyle Dubas and the Penguins are in rebuild mode. They traded Marcus Pettersson before the 4 Nations Faceoff and dealt Vincent Desharnais just hours before acquiring Novak and Schenn from the Predators.
Related: 2025 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Novak is the centerpiece of this deal for the Penguins, so let’s start there. He hasn’t had a great season, but who has for the Predators? He has just 13 goals and 22 points in 52 games after totaling 18 goals and 45 points in 71 contests a season ago. For his career, he’s averaged 20 goals and 48 points per 82 games.
Novak has not had a good season, but the Penguins must see bounce-back potential with him. He excels in transition, is a good playmaker, and creates quality chances that he capitalizes on; he has a shooting percentage of 15.4 for his career. He’s only 27 and is under contract through the 2026-27 season at a cap hit of $3.5 million.
The Penguins probably want to make one more run with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and co. before they retire in the next few years. Novak gets them closer to that if he can be a viable third-line center behind Crosby and Malkin. He won’t have to play higher up the lineup like he was in Nashville, so I see the bounce-back potential.
Schenn’s inclusion in this deal is a bit odd. He’s under contract through the end of next season, so the Penguins could keep him if they choose. I’d be surprised if that were the case, as there has been interest in Schenn from contenders around the league leading up to the trade deadline. Dubas could probably flip him and net a couple of assets. If so, that’d be a good bit of business.
Overall, the Penguins did well here. This trade’s final grade depends on what they do with Schenn, but at first glance, picking up Novak to improve the roster for the last couple of years of Crosby and Malkin’s careers is a good gamble.
Penguins Grade B+
Predators Make a Trade
I was critical of Predators GM Barry Trotz’s offseason, and he’s done nothing to dispel those criticisms. Bunting is not a bad player, but I don’t see why the Predators would acquire him. They need center depth, and that was with Novak. Bunting is not a center, so how does he help? He can add 20-25 goals and 40-plus points on the wing, but I’m not sure how likely that is since the Predators don’t have any centers.
The Predators are thinking a bit long-term by acquiring Bunting since he’s under contract for next season at a cap hit of $4.5 million. But they have plenty of work to do to build up their roster to get the most out of him. And given Trotz’s track record, I wouldn’t feel too confident in him making the right moves.
This is also an odd return for players like Schenn and Novak. I imagine a playoff contender would have been willing to pay futures to acquire Schenn. It may not have been much, but the Predators could use some draft capital and prospects to help a retool. The same is probably true of Novak, especially given teams are desperate for centers this deadline and in a thin center market.
I don’t understand this trade for the Predators at all. Bunting is not a bad player, but he’s not what they need and isn’t likely to move the needle that significantly. They would have been better off looking for draft picks and prospects for either Novak or Schenn.
Predators Grade: D
