Nashville Predators Sign Tommy Novak
After finishing up John Leonard‘s deal earlier today, the Nashville Predators have put the finishing touches on another restricted free agent contract. Tommy Novak has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.
Novak, 25, made his NHL debut this season with the Predators, playing in 27 games for the team and recording seven points. That’s a heck of a rise for a player who had to settle for an AHL contract coming out of college.
Originally a third-round selection of the Predators in 2015, he technically became an unrestricted free agent in 2019 after four years at the University of Minnesota, though had already agreed to an AHL deal with the Milwaukee Admirals by that point. He hit the ground running in the AHL, scoring 42 points as a rookie in 2019-20, and then was even better with the Chicago Wolves the following season, as the Predators shared an affiliate.
With a new deal, his focus will be on making a more regular appearance at the NHL level, and showing he belongs there as a full-time member of the roster. With strong puck skills and advanced playmaking ability, he could fit in as a player who plays limited even-strength minutes but contributes to the powerplay. Whether the Predators are open to something like that on a regular basis remains to be seen, but they now have the player to do it locked up on a league-minimum deal.
Nashville Predators Sign John Leonard
The Nashville Predators have found some common ground with newcomer John Leonard, signing the restricted free agent forward to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will be worth $750K at the NHL level.
Leonard, 23, was recently acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a trade that saw Luke Kunin go the other way. He was eligible for arbitration this summer but did not file, likely due to the two sides being close on this new contract.
It will be interesting to see if the young forward can carve out a regular role with Nashville, or if he is destined to spend another year in the minor leagues. Through 58 NHL games to this point, he has scored four goals, recorded 15 points, and notably, taken just a single minor penalty. While that may not seem like a big deal, the Predators were far and away the most penalized team in the league last season, averaging more than 12.6 PIM a game. A good bit of that is due to their league-leading 59 fighting majors, but perhaps a player like Leonard could help offset that a bit given his history of staying out of the box (he has just six PIM in 47 minor league games as well).
The Predators’ lineup is by no means set at this point, with only nine forwards (including Kiefer Sherwood) signed to one-way contracts. There should be good competition for playing time in the bottom six, and Leonard is one of the players who could grab a regular role with a strong training camp. The fact that he is waiver-exempt probably doesn’t help his case, but costing just $750K against the cap will.