The improbable, unnoticed rise of Nashville Predators center Tommy Novak

Tommy Novak has become more of a shoot-first, get-asked-questions-later kind of guy.

At least in the eyes of the Nashville Predators center's linemates, Kiefer Sherwood and Luke Evangelista.

The center of little attention was described as "unassuming" by coach Andrew Brunette. Sherwood referred to Novak as "humble" and "chill." Evangelista calls him "Cy Young" — as in the winningest pitcher in baseball history.

Novak is most of those things. The shoot-first thing is a first, though.

"I joked the other day that he's a shot-first guy," Sherwood said Monday after practice. "He kind of laughed and said, 'No way.'

"(Evangelista) was giving it to him, calling him Cy Young with his stats because he has so many more goals than assists, a lot more wins than losses."

Truth is, Novak has six goals — second on the team — and six assists, fourth-most. His 12 points are tied for second with Ryan O'Reilly but on Tuesday morning was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body ailment.

But he is just sixth in shots on goal with 26, which translates into a more-than-noticeable 23.1% shooting percentage. His four power-play goals entering play Monday were sixth in the league.

Looks can be deceiving

He looks more painter or plumber than hockey player.

He stands 6-foot-1, weighs 179 pounds. Didn't play his first NHL game until he was 24.

Novak had a goal and six assists in 27 games during his rookie season before he was shooed to the Milwaukee Admirals for the rest of the year, save for three games he played in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades.

"You might look at him, and you might judge a book by its cover," Sherwood said of Novak, who played four seasons at the University of Minnesota. "I think that's where people might get . . . "

Sherwood paused in search of the appropriate word.

"Might get exploited in the end because he is very unassuming. Sometimes you want to make sure he still has a pulse because he's very quiet."

Not until last season, about mid-February, did the 2015 third-round pick begin to become noticeable.

He recorded 13 of his 17 goals and 19 of his 26 assists during the last 30 games while the team made an improbable playoff push after selling at the trade deadline. He had four goals and seven assists in his first 21 games.

"Everybody has their own time frame," Predators general manager Barry Trotz said after last season. "Tommy Novak's time frame has been much different than another player."

Bigger paydays ahead?

Trotz said after last season that signing Novak to a longer-term deal was a "priority."

It's one that might be moving quickly up the ladder. After his one-year, $800,000 deal expires, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

"We talk about it all the time," Evangelista said. "I think this summer, when his contract is up, when people see what he signs for, it could be a little eye-opening.

"I don't think people are too familiar with him quite yet. Over the next year or so people are going to start to take notice."

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Novak was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Was raised in River Falls, a Wisconsin city of about 16,000 people.

Even there he's overlooked in some ways.

Novak's name is nowhere to be found among the 34 names listed under "notable people" on River Falls' Wikipedia page.

That's A-OK with Novak.

"Nothing is given to you in this league," he said. "You gotta go out every day and prove it. . . . Prove you want more ice time. Prove you want to be in a better position.

"There's really no entitlement."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tommy Novak's timing might net big payday with Nashville Predators