FILE - Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak skates with the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, April 9, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray, File)

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins signed dependable forward Tommy Novak to a three-year contract extension on Friday. The deal, which begins during the 2027-28 season, carries an average annual value of $4.65 million.

The 29-year-old Novak collected 16 goals and 26 points in 82 games last season while helping the Penguins return to the playoffs following a three-year absence.

Novak, who bounced between the second and third line during his first full season in Pittsburgh, had been scheduled to become a free agent next summer. The extension instead keeps him in the fold for the rest of the decade and positions him to be part of the club's nucleus as it transitions out of the twilight of the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin/Kris Letang era.