Thomas Novak is going to be one of the more interesting Penguins players to keep an eye on this season.

Yes, his play on the ice is obviously a big part of that, but as the Penguins slowly continue to try and figure out exactly what their future is, Novak is the type of player who remains a question mark long term.

If you aren’t all that knowledgeable about Novak, you can’t be blamed. Despite being with the team for over half a year now, the winger has played just six total games for the Penguins.

Last season, he was one in a flurry of trade deadline moves made by Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. Novak was acquired by the Penguins at the deadline along with defenseman Luke Schenn (who was later flipped) from Nashville, in exchange for forward Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth rounder.

Just two games into that season, Novak suffered an undisclosed injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year. He finished his season 13 goals and nine assists (22 points) in 54 total games, with all of those points coming in Nashville.

Over parts of four seasons and 203 total games in the NHL to that point, Novak averaged 51 games and 29.3 points per season. He averaged 47.2 points per 82 games.

This season, he is trying to establish himself in the middle-six lineup in Pittsburgh.