Predators' Thomas Novak: Contributes pair of points in win
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Novak scored a goal on three shots and added a power-play assist in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Sharks.
Novak was involved in Nashville's first two goals, which came 56 seconds apart in the first period. The 27-year-old didn't get in on the fun again in a second straight high-scoring battle between these two teams, but he has earned six points over his last three outings following his prior seven-game slump. The forward has seven goals, 15 points (four on the power play), 66 shots on net and an even plus-minus rating over 38 appearances.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Three points in win
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Novak notched a goal and two assists, including one on the power play, in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Sharks.
Novak cracked the scoresheet for the second game in a row, making it the first time he has recorded points in at least two straight games since a three-game stretch between Dec. 10 and Dec. 14. It was also the first multi-point effort of the campaign for the 27-year-old, but these outputs aren't expected to become the norm for Novak, especially considering his bottom-six role in the lineup.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Gathers helper in win
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Novak provided an assist in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Wild.
Novak ended a seven-game drought with the helper. That stretch includes his two-game absence due to an upper-body injury to begin January. The 27-year-old forward has remained in a bottom-six role lately, as Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly have functioned as top-six centers. Novak has just 10 points with 61 shots on net and a minus-2 rating over 36 appearances.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Likely out Saturday
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Novak (upper body) isn't expected to play Saturday against the Flames, Nick Kieser of 102.5 ESPN Nashville reports.
Novak sat out the Predators' 3-0 win over Vancouver due to the injury, and it appears he'll likely miss at least one more contest. With Novak unavailable, Fedor Svechkov will likely remain in Nashville's bottom six.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Won't be available Friday
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Novak (upper body) won't play Friday versus the Canucks.
Fedor Svechkov was called up Friday, and it appears Novak's injury is the reason why the Predators needed a forward. Novak will miss at least one game and is considered day-to-day ahead of Saturday's contest in Calgary.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Pockets helper Monday
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Novak earned an assist in Monday's 5-2 win over the Hurricanes.
Novak has generated five points over his last seven contests, though he's now gone five games without a goal. The 27-year-old forward is up to nine points, 50 shots on net, 12 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over 28 appearances. Novak was listed as the third-line center Monday but saw a reduced role with the Predators dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The team has struggled to score this year, making depth players like Novak risky options for fantasy managers.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Ends goal drought Tuesday
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Novak scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Flames.
Novak recorded a point for the first time since Oct. 25, and it was also his first goal since Oct. 22, when he contributed with a tally in the 4-0 win over the Bruins. Novak enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign with three goals in his first six games, but he's gone ice-cold since then. The 27-year-old should continue to find opportunities to produce as long as he remains a member of the second power-play unit, but the team's overall struggles certainly limit his upside considerably.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Unavailable Thursday
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Novak (upper body) will miss Thursday's game against Edmonton, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.
Novak is set to miss his fifth straight game. He has three goals and four points in 12 outings in 2024-25. It remains to be seen if he'll be an option Friday versus Calgary.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Ruled out for Monday
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Novak (upper body) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Avalanche, Predators Radio Host Max Herz reports.
Novak participated in Monday's morning skate but will be unavailable for a fourth consecutive game. However, he seems to be getting closer to returning to game action, and his next opportunity to do so will be Thursday in Edmonton.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Unavailable Saturday
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Novak (upper body) won't play Saturday against Utah, according to Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.
Novak will miss his third straight game. He has collected three goals, one assist and 22 shots on net across 12 appearances this season. Colton Sissons (upper body) will replace Novak in Saturday's lineup.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Garners assist in win
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Novak logged a power-play assist in Friday's 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.
Novak earned his first helper of the season on Brady Skjei's third-period tally, which was the game-winner. The 27-year-old Novak has four points, 16 shots on net and a plus-1 rating through seven contests so far. His ice time was limited to 10:45 in Friday's win, though it's unclear if he's in danger of being a healthy scratch. He'll have limited fantasy value in a bottom-six role, though if he can turn his performance around, he could be a candidate for the second line again.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Finds back of net Tuesday
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Novak scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Bruins.
Novak recorded his third goal of the season Tuesday, but unlike in the previous two games in which he scored, this one contributed to Nashville's victory. The Predators have endured a tough start to the season, but Novak has found a way to stay productive, tallying three goals across six appearances while averaging 2.3 shots per game.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Carries offense in preseason loss
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Novak scored a goal and added two assists, one on the power play, in Saturday's preseason loss to the Hurricanes.
The 27-year-old center had a hand in every Nashville goal in a 5-3 loss, helping to set up Mark Jankowski with the man advantage in the first period and Cole Smith at even strength in the second before potting his own tally in the final stanza. Novak seems set in a top-six role, and while he may not see many shifts on the first power-play unit, he could see a lot of even-strength ice time alongside new teammates Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. Novak set career highs with 18 goals and 45 points in 2023-24, but he could be poised to blow past those numbers given the talent upgrade around him.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Inks three-year extension
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Novak signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension with the Predators on Monday.
Novak has developed into a solid middle-six contributor that sees power-play time over the past two seasons with Nashville, picking up 30 goals and 77 points, 22 of which have come with the man advantage, over 102 games. The 26-year-old forward should continue to produce at a similar rate over the next three campaigns.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Two-point effort against Avs
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Novak scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Avalanche.
After having a hand in the eventual game-winner by Cody Glass late in the second period, Novak potted his own tally midway through the third as the Predators pulled away. Novak's been on a roll over the last month, producing five goals and 13 points over the last 13 games despite a third-line assignment and a spot on the second power-play unit.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Supplies power-play helper
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Novak recorded a power-play assist in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.
Novak set up a Filip Forsberg tally in the second period. With at least one point in eight of his last nine games, Novak has been a consistent presence on offense while seeing middle-six minutes. He's up to 30 points, 77 shots on net and a minus-7 rating through 47 outings this season. The 26-year-old will likely continue to play on the third line since the Predators are clicking on a four-game winning streak.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Stays warm Tuesday
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Novak scored a goal on three shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Golden Knights.
Novak scored in the second period, giving him four goals and three assists over his last seven outings. The 26-year-old has surged despite playing in a bottom-six role. He's up to 12 goals, 28 points, 74 shots and a minus-8 rating through 45 appearances this season. Fantasy managers in deeper formats could find a spot for Novak while he's scoring.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Nabs assist in win
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Novak logged an assist in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Stars.
Novak set up a Luke Evangelista tally in the second period. A recent lineup shuffle has seen Novak playing on the third line after beginning the year in a top-six role. The 26-year-old hasn't had much of a scoring touch, going 18 games without a goal, but he has racked up seven helpers across his last 11 outings. The center is at 19 points, 44 shots on net and a minus-3 rating through 29 contests.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Registers helper
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Novak produced an assist and three shots on goal in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over the Capitals.
Novak was formally moved down to the third line for this contest, as the Predators appear to be leaning on their veterans to help the team get back on track. He saw 13:31 of ice time Saturday, and he's still on the second power-play unit. Novak doesn't have a goal since he returned from an upper-body injury, racking up five assists, a minus-2 rating and 15 shots on net over 12 contests in that span. For the year, he's at 17 points, 41 shots and a minus-2 rating through 26 appearances.
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Predators' Thomas Novak: Ice time dwindling
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Novak registered an assist in Friday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Red Wings, but saw his ice time dip to just 11:51.
This marks the second time in the past three games that Novak has posted a TOI of under 12 minutes, which is concerning. He has averaged 14:42 of ice time this season, but was seeing 17:59 of playing time per contest in November before being sidelined for 11 games with an upper-body injury. Since his return in early December, he's recorded just four assists in 11 games and hasn't scored a goal since Nov. 4. It's probably a good move to stash Novak on your fantasy bench until he turns things around.
