Nashville Predators sign Tommy Novak to three-year contract extension
Tommy Novak has signed a three-year contract extension to remain with the Nashville Predators at an AAV of $3.5 million.
Novak was set to become a UFA after completing his one-year, $800,000 contract later this season.
NOVY IS STAYING IN SMASHVILLE!
The #Preds have signed Tommy Novak to a three-year, $10.5 million contract. pic.twitter.com/4sSX3gbbOi
The price increase is a nice reward for a forward who has become a key piece of Nashville’s offense. He emerged in a big way with 43 points in 51 games last year, earning him a one-year extension midway through the 2022-23 campaign.
That deal proved to be a bargain, with Novak playing at an 82-game pace of 55 points this season. The 26-year-old missed 11 games with an upper-body injury earlier this fall, coming at a time when the winger was starting to heat up.
Drafted 85th overall in 2015 while playing with the Waterloo Black Hawks, Novak had a strong four-year stretch with the NCAA’s University of Minnesota. He helped the Golden Gophers win consecutive Big 10 regular season titles in 2016-17 and finished his tenure with 18 goals and 88 points in 129 games.
Since turning pro, Novak has 135 points in the AHL and 84 points in the NHL, showing good chops as a playmaker.
The Predators are in an interesting spot heading into this week’s NHL Trade Deadline. Once believed to be sellers, the club currently sits with 60 points, tying them with St. Louis, who currently occupies the final wild-card spot. The Predators are 4-5-1 over the past 10 games but are currently riding a two-game win streak.
According to CapFriendly, the Predators will have about $22 million in cap space after the Novak deal. Notable UFAs include Tyson Barrie and Alexandre Carrier, both of whom could still be moved ahead of the deadline on March 8.
The Predators will host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday evening before fighting a bout with the Buffalo Sabres on March 7.