{"id":257558,"date":"2026-08-02T06:34:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T06:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/257558\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T06:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T06:34:17","slug":"penguins-sign-novak-to-new-3-year-contract-full-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/257558\/","title":{"rendered":"Penguins Sign Novak to New 3-Year Contract; Full Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a somewhat surprising move Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins <\/a>locked down forward Tommy Novak<\/a> for three more seasons. <\/p>\n

The team announced they extended Novak on a three-year contract that begins in 2027-28 and carries a salary cap hit of $4.65 million annually. Novak, 29, would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer.<\/p>\n

Last season, Novak netted16 goals with 26 assists and 42 points while playing in 82 games. He started slow, and his lineup position was unsettled until a mid-season injury to Evgeni Malkin and subsequent shift to center gave Novak solid footing as a second-line center. He averaged 14:17 of ice time per game and was a part of the team\u2019s second power play unit.<\/p>\n

It was Novak\u2019s fifth NHL season, as he played most of his first four years with the Nashville Predators before being acquired near the 2025 NHL trade deadline in a deal that sent Michael Bunting to Nashville. <\/p>\n

Noval also represented Team USA at the 2026 World Championship, recording a team-high seven assists and eight points in eight games.<\/p>\n

Analysis<\/p>\n

The move highlights the Penguins\u2019 organization\u2019s high opinion of Novak, who is defensively responsible and reliable in the middle. Coach Dan Muse was quick to defend and praise Novak after his slow start, citing his defensive work and away-from-the-puck play. However, Novak\u2019s lack of physical play became notable later in the regular season and playoffs, and Muse began to shift him around the lineup, just as he did in October and November.<\/p>\n

The new contract appears to settle the middle of the Penguins\u2019 lineup for the next few years with Sidney Crosby, Novak, Ben Kindel, and Blake Lizotte under contract or, in Crosby\u2019s case, presumably so. <\/p>\n

Last season, Novak won only 42.9% of his faceoffs and hasn\u2019t scored more than 45 points in a season. His limited offensive output also allows for Kindel to ascend in the Penguins\u2019 lineup as the 19-year-old warrants, and it\u2019s also a sign that the Penguins don\u2019t foresee any prospects rising to claim a role in the middle in the next couple of seasons.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> tommy novak<\/a> <\/p>\n

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