Novak adds some center depth to the group, lining up in the middle behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, with Danton Heinen on his left and Emil Bemstrom on his right in Pittsburgh’s 4-0 loss (full recap here).
“You can see the skill level he has,” Head Coach Mike Sullivan said. “He gets a Grade-A look on a 2-on-1. Just misses his mark. But he made a few plays. He has good tight-area skills. I think he skates well. There’s a lot to like there.”
Pittsburgh’s Hockey Operations group was thrilled to bring Novak into the mix. At 27 years old, he’s a younger member of this particular group. He has good size at 6-1 and 179 pounds, and produced some solid campaigns in Nashville, who drafted him in the third round back in 2015. After four years of college hockey at Minnesota, Novak made his NHL debut in 2021.
Since then, only three Predators have scored more goals or notched more points than Novak. His best season came during the 2023-24 campaign where he set career highs across the board in goals (18), assists (27) and points (45). While this year has been a relatively down one for Novak, he still picked up 13 goals in 52 games before the trade.
“I think as a puck carrier, I see the ice well and try to make plays offensively,” Novak said. “This year, it's been a little hard to come by, but I think just making plays offensively, I move my feet, get my feet into it, and just try to create some chances for my teammates and for myself.”
While Sullivan said they were looking forward to familiarizing themselves even more with Novak’s game, Phil Tomasino knows it pretty well, having played with him in the Predators organization.
“He's an awesome player, obviously an awesome guy as well,” Tomasino said. “Just so skilled with the puck. I got the chance to play with him quite a bit in Nashville, in the minors and with the big club as well. Just makes plays. I mean, he's so silky with the puck and just makes everyone around him better. So, we're really excited to have him.”
Tomasino reached out to Novak right away, as his trade to Pittsburgh back in November was also the first of his career. But just like Tomasino, he’s looking forward to a fresh start after some tough sledding.
“Obviously, things didn't go to plan at all. So, changes were made. I'm in Pittsburgh now, and I'm excited to be here for sure,” Novak said. “Coming to such a storied franchise and to play with such great players – it's an honor to play for this franchise. I'm really excited to get going.”
