Novak, 25 (4/28/97), made his NHL debut with Nashville on Oct. 19 vs. Los Angeles and went on to play in 27 total games in 2021-22, tallying seven points (1g-6a). He scored his first career NHL goal on Dec. 17 at Chicago and tallied his first three career NHL points on Oct. 23 at Winnipeg (3a); in doing so, he became the 12th rookie in Predators history to post a three-point game as a rookie. The 6-foot-1, 179-pound center spent most of the 2021-22 season with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, where he skated in 49 games and recorded 34 points (7g-27a), his third time surpassing the 30-point mark. Novak finished the regular season fourth on the team in assists (27) and tallied six points in six Calder Cup Playoff games (1g-5a), a postseason career high.
Originally drafted by the Predators in the third round (85th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, the River Falls, Wis., native has spent parts of three seasons at the AHL level with Milwaukee and Chicago, appearing in 132 games. During the 2019-20 campaign - his first full professional season - Novak tallied 42 points (11g-31) in 60 games with the Admirals, finishing third among AHL rookies in assists (31) while helping lead Milwaukee to the league's best record. Prior to turning pro, he played for the University of Minnesota from 2015-19 and skated in 129 games, tallying 88 points (18g-70a), including three seasons where he earned at least 20 points.
