Penguins Lock Up Tommy Novak With $13.95 Million Extension

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year contract extension on Friday in late July 2026. And the deal tells you everything about how Kyle Dubas wants this retool to look. It is a three-year, $13.95 million contract that carries a $4.65 million average annual value and runs through the 2029-30 season, per TSN. Novak will play out the final year of his current $3.5 million deal this season before the new money kicks in for 2027-28, The Score reports.

This is not a splashy move. It is a smart move, and that is the whole point in Pittsburgh right now.

Why did the Penguins extend Tommy Novak now?

The Penguins did not wait for Novak to hit free agency in the 2027 offseason. They moved now because they already know what he is. At 29, the former Nashville Predator has one more year left on his previous deal. And Pittsburgh clearly did not want to risk him pricing himself out with another strong season or walking for nothing.

The trade that brought him here cost Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick, Yahoo Sports notes. That was already a low-risk bet for a guy with an extra year of term. Locking him in at $4.65 million per season turns that trade into a real win if he keeps producing the way he did in 2025-26.

It also fits the Penguins' timeline. Their veteran core is not getting younger. And Dubas needs useful players around them who are not on expiring deals. Novak is not a star. But he is a dependable forward who can play.

And AP News described him exactly that way when the extension dropped.

This is how a team that cannot fully rebuild stays competitive.

What does the $4.65M AAV mean for Pittsburgh's cap?

The cap hit is a $1.15 million raise from his current $3.5 million. And it is fair for what he brings.

Novak is not a $6 million player.

He is not a $3 million player either. At $4.65 million, he lands in the useful middle-six range where the Penguins need depth without overpaying for flash.

The deal begins in 2027-28, TribLive confirms, which gives Pittsburgh some breathing room. They do not have to eat the raise immediately. That matters for a team that has spent years wrestling with big contracts and trying to add flexibility around the edges.

Reuters put the numbers plainly: $13.95 million total, $4.65 million per year, running through 2029-30. iHeart's report rounded it to $14 million. But the widely reported figure is $13.95 million and the cap hit stays the same. Either way, the Penguins have cost certainty for three years on a player they trust.

Novak's 2025-26 season earned this contract

Novak's first full season in Pittsburgh was rock solid.

He played all 82 games, scored 16 goals, and added 26 assists for 42 points, according to Reuters.

That is not headline-grabbing production, but durability matters.

The Penguins have dealt with injuries and inconsistency up front.

And a guy who shows up every night is worth paying.

He has 285 career NHL games under his belt with 65 goals and 159 points, per Reuters. The St. Paul, Minnesota native was drafted 85th overall by Nashville in 2015 and made his NHL debut in 2021. He is not a late bloomer in the traditional sense. But he is a player who found his role after a trade and looked comfortable in it.

This contract rewards that consistency.

Sixteen goals and 42 points from a middle-six forward who plays every game is exactly what a retooling team needs. Pittsburgh is not asking Novak to carry the offense. They are asking him to be reliable, and that is what he was.

What to watch next for the Penguins

The Penguins' retool is still taking shape, but this extension is a clear signal.

Dubas is not hunting for big names. He is keeping the players who fit and trying to build a roster that can actually play in front of his aging core.

Novak is part of that plan now through the 2029-30 season.

The question is what comes next. Pittsburgh still has to figure out its blue line, its goaltending situation. And how much longer the window for this group can stay open.

But moves like this one show the front office is thinking in practical terms instead of swinging for the fences.

So watch tonight: does Novak look like a guy who can repeat that 16-goal, 82-game season?

If he does, $4.65 million per year will look like a steal. If he does not, it is still a manageable bet. Either way, the Penguins made the right call.