The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Tommy Novak to a three-year, $4.65 million AAV extension on Friday morning.
The deal doesn't even kick in until the 2027-28 season, according to the terms announced.
Novak is currently playing on a $3.5 million cap hit, so the new number is a real raise for the 29-year-old forward.
He put up 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points across 82 games this season, solid production from a middle-six piece.
But the stretch run tells a different story. Over his last 10 games, Novak managed one goal and three assists and finished at minus-7.
His playoff showing wasn't kinder. Six games, zero goals, two assists, and a minus-4 rating to close it out.
Kyle Dubas locked in the term anyway. The Penguins GM is clearly betting on more than what the box score showed in March and April.
Novak's playoff drought complicates the price tag
Pittsburgh finished 41-25-16 for 98 points, tenth overall and second in the Metro under head coach Dan Muse.
That's a respectable season on paper. It closed with a three-game skid, capped by a 5-7 loss at St. Louis.
Does a raise fix what went cold in the second half? That's the part of this deal that doesn't add up cleanly.
Locking up a middle-six center on an uptick is one thing. Paying that kind of money to a player who went cold when it mattered most is another.
It's a bit like re-signing a lease on an apartment you haven't lived in for months, betting the neighborhood turns around before you move back in.
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Novak won't cash a dime of the new deal for another year. Whether he looks the part by the time it starts is the question hanging over Pittsburgh's offseason.
Is Kyle Dubas making a smart bet by extending Tommy Novak after his playoff drought?
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