Predators sign center to three-year extension

12:25 p.m.: Nashville has made the deal official, confirming the length and value.

12:10 p.m.: The Predators are signing center Tommy Novak to a three-year contract extension, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Per Friedman, the deal carries an AAV of $3.5M, working out to $10.5M in total value.

As such, one of the top value center options available at the trade deadline is likely off the market. Novak, 26, has been one of the best per-minute producers in the league since last season, accumulating 30 goals and 77 points in 102 games while averaging only 14:31 per contest.

It’s a considerable raise for Novak, who inked a dirt-cheap one-year, $800K extension to remain a Predator in February 2023. The Minnesota native was a third-round pick of the squad in 2015, although he played a full four seasons of college puck with the University of Minnesota and another two years of AHL and ECHL hockey before making his major-league debut in 2021-22.

Now solidified as a full-time NHLer, Novak will continue to take advantage of some lesser competition while shouldering third-line minutes at even strength. An unexpected offensive breakout from shutdown center Colton Sissons has allowed him to occupy a second-line center role behind Ryan O’Reilly, taking difficult defensive matchups off Novak’s hands.

In 51 contests this year, Novak has 13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points, and a -7 rating while averaging 14:22 per game. Perhaps his most significant deficiency is his skill in the dot — he’s won just 44.2 percent of his draws — but he’s made up for it by dominating his matchups possession-wise with a 55.8 CF percentage at even strength. That’s because he’s among the league leaders in even-strength offensive zone time at 45.3 percent, sitting in the 95th percentile among NHL forwards this season, per NHL EDGE.

Nashville GM Barry Trotz has his best bottom-six threat locked in through 2027, at which point he’ll be a UFA. The Predators now have $22.4M in projected cap space in 2024-25 with a roster size of 13, which could be a tight squeeze to fill 10 roster spots. However, the Predators don’t have many high-caliber pending free agents, so Trotz should have some flexibility to continue retooling Nashville’s roster as they attempt to ascend from playoff hopeful to championship contender.