Pittsburgh Penguins Trade for Luke Schenn and Tommy Novak from Nashville: What This Means for the Team’s Future

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a significant trade, bringing in defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tommy Novak from the Nashville Predators. In return, they have sent Michael Bunting and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft to Nashville. President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced the news today.

Luke Schenn, 35, has a two-year contract that runs until the end of the 2025-26 season, with an average yearly salary of $2.75 million. He’s a seasoned player, having spent 17 seasons in the NHL. This year with the Predators, he has played 61 games, scoring one goal and adding four assists for a total of five points. Over his career, Schenn has played 1,057 NHL games, earning 203 points (44 goals and 159 assists). He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning titles with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. Schenn has also participated in 47 playoff games, scoring seven points.

Notably, Schenn has delivered 3,588 hits since his debut in 2008, ranking him third in NHL history and the top among defensemen. Before the NHL, he played three seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Kelowna Rockets, where he notched 68 points (12 goals, 56 assists) in 189 games. Schenn has represented Canada at various international tournaments, including the World Under-18 Championship and multiple World Championships.

On the other hand, Tommy Novak, 27, has also been with the Predators for all four of his NHL seasons. Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 179 pounds, he has played 52 games this season, scoring 13 goals and contributing nine assists for a total of 22 points. This makes him one of the top scorers on the team, ranking fifth in goals and sixth in points. Novak has appeared in 201 NHL games, racking up 49 goals and 68 assists, giving him a total of 117 points and six game-winning goals. His standout season came last year when he achieved career highs with 18 goals, 27 assists, and 45 points.

Novak was drafted by Nashville in 2015 and spent four years playing college hockey at the University of Minnesota before making the jump to the NHL.

With this trade, the Penguins have now accumulated a total of 27 draft picks over the next three years, which includes four first-round selections and 15 picks within the first three rounds. This positions them as one of the teams with the most assets for future drafts.

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