Predators Place Thomas Novak On IR, Lose Big Piece

Things just keep getting worse for the Nashville Predators as they struggle near the bottom of the standings. After swapping out their top two centers in the offseason, they took a different approach by bringing in Ryan O'Reilly and letting Thomas Novak and Cody Glass run with it down the middle.

Novak played great when given the opportunity last season, scoring 17 goals and 43 points in 51 games. The 26-year-old was slotted in on the second line until today when the Predators placed him on the injured reserve. According to the Predators, he will miss 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury.

Novak started the season with six goals and 12 points in 14 games and is tied for second on the team in scoring behind only Filip Forsberg. The loss of Novak will also be felt on the power play where he has four goals and six points already. It is likely Glass gets the opportunity to move up and play with Luke Evangelista and Kiefer Sherwood.

As Novak lands on the IR, the team recalls Spencer Stastney, a defenseman. Colton Sissons will also see a fair bit more ice time in Novak's absence. For a Predators team that is 5-9-0 on the season already, losing one of their only reliable scorers is going to hurt.