The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been a busy team preparing for their future. Not only have they acquired a ton of draft capital – which sees them have 30 picks in the next three drafts – but they have also acquired some solid young players to help push them through their rebuild.
Related: Penguins’ Trade Deadline Moves Continue Building for the Future
Over the last few weeks leading up to the deadline and at the deadline, the Penguins added the likes of Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs. But one name stands out, as the Penguins added 27-year-old Tommy Novak from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick. With Novak being a key piece to this team, what exactly are the Penguins getting with him?
From the NCAA to the NHL
Novak was taken in the third round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Predators. At the time of being drafted, he was in the midst of preparing for the freshman season of his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota. He played 129 games through four seasons at the university where he tallied 18 goals and 88 points. Off the back of his senior season in 2019, Novak signed an amateur tryout contract with the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League (AHL) to appear in three of their final games of the season. He had one assist in his three games played.
In the 2019-20 season, Novak found himself back with the Admirals and had an incredible season. As a rookie, he was second on the team in assists (31) and third in points (42). In the 2020-21 season, Milwaukee took the season off due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and Novak saw himself with the Chicago Wolves instead and a short three-game stint with the Florida Everblades in the ECHL. He managed to hold over a point-per-game (P/G) with 35 points in 30 games between the two clubs.
In a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 19, 2021, he made his long-awaited debut with the Predators. The then 23-year-old went on to notch seven points in 27 games before he was sent back down to the AHL. In his final full season with Nashville, he began to find himself as a full-time NHLer. Playing in 123 games between the start of last season and the time he was traded to Pittsburgh, he tallied 67 points. The beginning of his Penguins’ stint has been rough as he left their 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild with a lower-body injury.
How Does Novak Fit Into Mike Sullivan’s System?
With this season being the first of three on a three-year, $3.5 million average annual value (AAV) contract, Novak was a good pickup by general manager Kyle Dubas. While he is not known as a high-scoring forward, Novak’s quickness and playmaking ability make him a big threat in the offensive zone and a big reason he earned that contract in Nashville. He is able to find and sneak into lanes to put himself in a better position to receive passes in dangerous areas of the offensive zone.
To go along with finding dead areas of the ice, Novak has a ton of up-tempo to his game with quite a bit of physicality to ensure he is coming away with the puck. Head coach Mike Sullivan likes to use a very offense-heavy structure that relies on speed and that up-tempo game, both of which Novak brings to the team. Because he is a versatile player, he is able to play on the wing or at center. Sullivan has already tried him at both spots between the game against the Vegas Golden Knights and their game against the Wild. This will allow Sullivan to play him on the second-line wing or place him as a third-line center.
Most of the time, Novak’s offensive play will be talked highly about, but not so much his defensive game as he is a minus-9 in his four-season career thus far. Despite that, his defensive awareness is solid, and he will put his body on the line to block shots at any given moment. Good defensive awareness has been difficult to come by this season for the Penguins, as there have been way too many lapses in their defensive structure. With his high hockey IQ, Novak will give a bit more stability to the offense when it comes to their defensive zone.
Novak Is a Low-Risk, High-Reward Player
Only turning 28 in April, with two seasons left on his contract beginning next season, Novak will be a big piece in this rebuild. He brings a lot to the Penguins’ lineup. From his hockey sense to his speed, he has a bright future with his prime years still ahead of him. If he is able to find his footing on the goal-scoring side of the game, he will be a great pickup with a very reasonable price tag. If he doesn’t work out, his contract would not be difficult to move for either another player or more draft picks.
