The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that forward Tommy Novak has been signed to a three-year contract extension. The deal will begin in the 2027-28 campaign and carry a $4.65MM AAV, running until July 1, 2030.
With prices for established talent rising rapidly across the NHL, the Penguins have acted early to sign Novak to a new contract. The 29-year-old is under contract for 2026-27 at a $3.5MM cap hit, and was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Now, he’ll remain in Pittsburgh through the end of the decade, as this deal covers three UFA years.
The Penguins added Novak in March of 2025, acquiring him from the Nashville Predators at the cost of veteran winger Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round draft choice. Once one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Predators organization, Novak struggled mightily in 2024-25, scoring just 13 goals and 22 points in 52 games by the time he was traded.
Pittsburgh’s decision to add Novak came as part of a broader organizational strategy, one that has seen them target formerly ascendant prospects in need of a change of scenery. Some of the early returns on their bets have been positive, such as the addition of Egor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Results on other trades have been more mixed, such as the team’s decision to part with a fourth-round pick to acquire Philip Tomasino from Nashville.
While Novak hasn’t reversed the downward trend of his career in as stunning a fashion as Chinakhov (who scored 36 points in 43 games and promptly earned a $6.25MM AAV extension), it’s tough to argue that his 2025-26 season was anything but a solid bounce-back year.
Novak split his time between center and the wing in his first full season in Pittsburgh, and he averaged 14:17 time on ice per game overall. That’s more ice time than Novak has received in any season other than his 2022-23 breakout campaign.
Trusted by first-year head coach Dan Muse, Novak responded, posting 16 goals and 42 points. He received second-unit power play time for most of the season, but did not feature on the penalty kill.
A silky forward whose puck skills have always been the foundation of his game, Novak’s ability to engage in the rougher side of hockey has long been a point of criticism. His focus is on offense, and he shouldn’t be expected to play a key defensive role or be an imposing physical presence.
But even though he has some legitimate drawbacks to his game, he proved last season that he can be a viable secondary scorer for a playoff-caliber team.
As the Penguins look to integrate a larger number of young forwards into their lineup in the coming years, having Novak in the mix as a steady, consistent middle-six scorer will help give Muse some continuity, and give the team’s younger players a stable veteran to play with.
A $4.65MM cap hit may have induced some sticker shock in past years, as Novak is an offense-first player with a career-high of 45 points. But within the current market conditions, it’s a more than fair price tag for some of his peak UFA years.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images