Penguins’ unexpected contract decision leaves fans baffled

The Pittsburgh Penguins made an eyebrow-raising roster move on Friday, opting to secure a piece of their center depth well ahead of schedule.

The club announced it has signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $4.65 million. Novak, who turns 30 before the deal expires, was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The commitment is somewhat unexpected given Novak's modest offensive profile. He posted 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points across all 82 games last season, solid but hardly star-level production. His faceoff percentage sat at just 42.9%, and he has never eclipsed the 45-point mark in any NHL campaign.

Still, there is context that explains Pittsburgh's thinking. A mid-season injury to Evgeni Malkin opened the door for Novak to slide into a second-line center role, and he ran with it. He averaged 14:17 of ice time per game and earned reps on the team's second power play unit. Head coach Dan Muse reportedly praised Novak's defensive responsibility and away-from-the-puck contributions even during a sluggish start to the year.

Novak's journey to Pittsburgh has been a relatively quick one. He spent most of his first four NHL seasons with the Nashville Predators before the Penguins acquired him near the 2025 trade deadline, sending Michael Bunting the other way. He also represented Team USA at the 2026 World Championship this spring, leading the squad with seven assists and eight points in eight games.

The deal effectively settles Pittsburgh's center picture for the foreseeable future. Sidney Crosby, Novak, Ben Kindel, and Blake Lizotte are all under contract. The extension also signals that the organization does not anticipate any internal prospects forcing their way into a middle-six center spot over the next couple of years.

There is a flip side to that coin, though. Novak's ceiling leaves room for 19-year-old Kindel to eventually climb the lineup as his development warrants, giving Pittsburgh a natural succession plan rather than a logjam.

Coach Muse did begin shuffling Novak's position later in the season after his lack of physicality became a recurring talking point. Whether the new contract cements him as a permanent fixture at center or simply guarantees him a roster spot remains to be seen.

While the move stunned the fanbase and insiders in Pittsburgh, the Penguins have made their bet that Novak's two-way reliability is worth the investment, even if the move caught some observers off guard.