For a variety of reasons, things are better for Tommy Novak today than they were one year ago.
Like being ambulatory.
After the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Novak from the Nashville Predators on March 5, 2025, he didn’t even last two whole games before suffering a stress fracture in his left leg that brought his 2024-25 season to a premature conclusion.
For must of the past month, he was the Penguins’ most established top-six center as the lineup with Sidney Crosby sidelined by a presumed right leg injury and Evgeni Malkin moving to the starboard side as a right winger.
(Veteran winger Rickard Rakell filled in for Crosby as a center on an ad hoc basis.)
“It was hard at first, getting hurt right away,” Novak said in Cranberry on Feb. 27. “Wanted to come here as a fresh start and start off well and getting hurt. Ever since then, it’s been with a new (coaching) staff and everything. It’s been really fun hockey. It’s a good place to live here in Pittsburgh.
“Overall, it’s been really good except for that stint I was on crutches for a while.”
That sour stint started March 9, 2025, during a 3-1 road win against the Minnesota Wild when Novak blocked a shot and was injured.
Over the next five weeks, the Penguins kept issuing vague updates on Novak’s status, and he even took to the ice a few times to skate alone during his rehabilitation. But by April 10, the team announced he was out for the final three games of the season.
“It ended up lingering a little longer than that, even into the offseason,” Novak said. “It was kind of a struggle this offseason being home and being on crutches and stuff, just waiting for it to fully heal up. It wasn’t fun. It was kind of a weird time knowing your season is over. Moved past that. Now, it’s fun.”
As of late, he’s had plenty of fun primarily skating between Malkin and Egor Chinakhov on the left wing.
Initially pieced together for a 2-1 home shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 13, the Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin line has skated together for 19 games. Over that span, Novak has 12 points (four goals, eight assists).
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“It’s a good mix,” Novak said. “(Malkin) and myself feel like more pass-first players. (Chinakhov) is so fast, he gets open so much. Really, just try to move the puck around and get some open looks. Three players that see the ice really well. It’s been a lot of fun being able to play with those guys. (Malkin) is unbelievable. So fun to watch. His passing is the best I’ve ever seen, honestly.”
Before taking on his current assignment, Novak opened the season as the left wing of the third line next to 18-year-old center Ben Kindel, helping him get adjusted to the NHL.
“His IQ and his skill (are) unbelievable,” Kindel said. “So, it’s really easy to play with him. I like to play with him.
“He’s an older guy who’s been through it. He was great.”
To say there were great expectations for Novak entering the season might be generous, considering how last season ended for him and the inconsistent results he mostly offered in his first five season as an NHLer with the Predators.
Novak was something of a question mark to open 2025-26.
One person who had some previous insight as to what Novak could offer was Penguins coach Dan Muse.
As an assistant coach with the Predators for three seasons in the late 2010s, Muse interacted with Novak when the latter was a prospect with that organization. He even coached Novak briefly as a high schooler during an All-Star camp staged by USA Hockey.
“From all of that, I got a strong appreciation for Tommy’s game,” Muse said. “He’s played well this year. He continued to get better, too, as the year has gone on. He can make plays under high, high pressure. He puts himself in really good areas offensively.
“As a line, those guys have done a good job in terms of the chemistry that they’ve found with each other.”
While it’s unlikely to be broken up for tactical reasons, there’s no guarantee that line will remain together. Factors such as injury or suspensions – like the recent five-game spell Malkin recently served – could dictate lineup composition.
Novak, one of five players to appear in all 68 of the Penguins’ game this season, is confident he can contribute no matter how he’s positioned.
“I’m a guy who can play wherever they need to put me,” Novak said. “Circumstances put me in different positions. It’s been a pretty good progression for me personally, just seeing the ice better and getting back into a rhythm of making plays and playing hard. It’s been fun.
“Played with a lot of different lines this year. It’s been fun to play with so many different players on this team.”
A year ago, Novak just joined a new team but wasn’t quite sure where he fit in.
Today, he’s in a far better place, especially compared to his days with the Predators as an occasional healthy scratch.
“The season we had there (with the Predators) wasn’t really good for anybody,” Novak said. “I’m thankful for the change that was made, honestly. It’s good to be here now and with these guys. I’m thankful for that.”
Note: The Penguins had a scheduled day off on Thursday.