Novak, 25 (4/28/97), has established career highs in goals (4), assists (7) and points (11) with the Predators in 2022-23, appearing in 20 games since making his season debut on Dec. 19 vs. Edmonton. He recorded points in eight of his first 10 appearances with Nashville this season and enters Saturday's contest at Philadelphia with three points (3a) in his last five games. In 25 games with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, he's produced at more than a point-per-game rate, notching 26 points (11g-15a) in 25 games from Oct. 15-Dec. 17. Novak was selected to the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic roster, but did not participate in the event due to his recall with Nashville.
Originally drafted by the Predators in the third round (85th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Novak made his League debut with Nashville on Oct. 19, 2021 vs. Los Angeles and went on to skate in 27 games last season, recording seven points (1g-6a). The 6-foot-1, 179-pound forward has produced 135 points (37g-98a) in 157 AHL games with Milwaukee and Chicago, a tenure headlined by a career-high 42 points (11g-31a) in 60 contests with the Admirals as a rookie in 2019-20. Prior to turning pro, Novak spent four years at the University of Minnesota from 2015-19, tallying 88 points (18g-70a) in 129 games. The River Falls, Wis., native reached the 20-point mark in three of his four seasons with the Golden Gophers and helped lead his team to two consecutive Big Ten regular-season titles in 2016 and 2017. Before enrolling at Minnesota, Novak skated with the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks in 2014-15 and was second on his team in scoring with 48 points (14g-34a) in 46 games.
