Erik Cernak - NHL News & Rumors

Ready to return Cernak (lower body) is good to play Saturday versus Seattle, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.

Impact Cernak missed two games due to the injury. He's projected to play alongside Ryan McDonagh. Cernak's return coincides with J.J. Moser exiting the lineup due to an undisclosed injury. Victor Hedman (lower body) is also unavailable Saturday, so Cernak will likely get more ice time than his season average of 18:24.

DECEMBER 15 • ROTOWIRE

Game-time call Cernak (lower body) will be a game-time decision Saturday versus Seattle, per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.

Impact Cernak participated in Tampa Bay's optional morning skate, and head coach Jon Cooper is hopeful the 27-year-old defender will return from a two-game absence. He has collected seven assists, 17 shots on goal, 33 blocked shots and 48 hits through 25 appearances this season.

DECEMBER 14 • ROTOWIRE

Remains out Thursday Cernak (lower body) is slated to miss Thursday's tilt against Calgary, according to Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.

Impact Cernak was also absent for Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Edmonton. He has seven assists, 48 hits and 33 blocks in 25 appearances in 2024-25. His next opportunity to play will come Saturday in Seattle.

DECEMBER 13 • ROTOWIRE

Sidelined by lower-body injury Cernak is out of the lineup Tuesday versus the Oilers due to a lower-body injury, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.

Impact Cernak's injury was previously undisclosed. He is considered day-to-day at this time. His absence will allow the Lightning to go with 12 forwards and six defensemen, with Darren Raddysh taking on a top-four role in Cernak's stead.

DECEMBER 11 • ROTOWIRE

Unavailable Tuesday Cernak (undisclosed) won't play Tuesday against Edmonton, per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.

Impact Cernak will miss at least one game after being injured in Sunday's 4-2 win over Vancouver. The Lightning brought up Steve Santini from AHL Syracuse on Tuesday for additional defense depth. Cernak has compiled seven assists, 17 shots on goal, 33 blocked shots and 48 hits across 25 appearances this season.

DECEMBER 10 • ROTOWIRE

Sees limited work in third period Cernak was limited to just one shift in the third period of Sunday's win over the Canucks, indicating that he could be dealing with an injury, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Netwo...

Impact Head coach Jon Cooper didn't provide an update on Cernak's status after Sunday's matchup but said that the team should know more Monday. It's not yet clear whether the 27-year-old will be available for Tuesday's road game against Edmonton, but Nick Perbix could draw into the lineup if Cernak is unable to suit up.

DECEMBER 9 • ROTOWIRE

Registers assist Thursday Cernak notched an assist, three hits and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 8-1 win over the Sharks.

Impact Cernak has three helpers over his last 10 contests. The 27-year-old has added 26 hits, 13 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating in that span, serving as a steady defender who can chip in the occasional point or two. The blueliner is at seven assist, 47 hits, 32 blocks, 17 shots on net, 12 PIM and a plus-9 rating through 24 outings overall.

DECEMBER 6 • ROTOWIRE

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NOVEMBER 29 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Posts helper in win Cernak recorded an assist, three hits, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 8-2 win over the Avalanche.

Impact Cernak has earned three assists over 10 games in November. That's about as good a scoring pace as anyone can expect from the 27-year-old blueliner, who fills a shutdown role on the Lightning's second pairing. He's earned six helpers, 15 shots on net, 12 PIM, a plus-7 rating, 31 hits and 28 blocked shots over 20 appearances in 2024-25.

NOVEMBER 26 • ROTOWIRE

Set to play Thursday Cernak (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup since the Lightning will dress seven defensemen for their game versus the Jets on Thursday, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Net...

Impact Cernak left the Lightning's last game after blocking a shot, but it appears a week-long break in the team's schedule has worked in his favor to avoid missing additional time. The 27-year-old could see fewer minutes than usual given the Lightning playing seven blueliners, but he should still see significant defensive usage.

NOVEMBER 14 • ROTOWIRE

Leaves game after blocked shot Cernak did not return to Thursday's game versus the Flyers after blocking a shot in the second period, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact There was no update on Cernak's status after the game. The 27-year-old's heavily defensive playing style often leads to him needing attention at times during games. He'll have the benefit of an extended break in the schedule for the Lightning -- their next game is next Thursday versus the Jets.

NOVEMBER 8 • ROTOWIRE

Snags assist Friday Cernak recorded an assist and three shots on goal in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Wild.

Impact Cernak was able to avoid missing time after exiting Wednesday's game in Colorado with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old blueliner plays a hard game, which often makes him a magnet for injuries. That doesn't tend to be a problem for fantasy managers, as Cernak rarely scores enough to warrant consideration in most formats. He has four assists, nine shots on net, 16 hits, 15 blocked shots, 10 PIM and a plus-2 rating through 11 outings.

NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Playing against Wild Cernak (upper body) will be in the lineup versus Minnesota on Friday, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.

Impact Cernak was hurt in the second period against Colorado on Wednesday but appears to be no worse for the wear. Through 10 games this season, the 27-year-old blueliner has notched three assists, 16 hits and 15 blocks while averaging 19:17 of ice time. Cernak is unlikely to offer much in the way of offensive upside but could still offer decent mid-range fantasy value in banger leagues.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Suffers injury Wednesday Cernak (upper body) was injured in the second period of Wednesday's game versus the Avalanche, Ryan Boulding of NHL.com reports.

Impact Cernak was hit high by Matthew Steinburg and wasn't able to return to the game. Head coach Jon Cooper didn't have an update on Cernak's status after the contest. The Lightning are in the middle of a road trip with the next game coming Friday in Minnesota. Nick Perbix would draw into the lineup if Cernak can't play.

OCTOBER 31 • ROTOWIRE

Nabs assist in loss Cernak logged a shorthanded assist, two hits and two PIM in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Wild.

Impact Cernak isn't one to put up a lot of offense, though he's done alright with three assists through seven games this season. The defenseman helped out on Brandon Hagel's game-tying goal in the second period. Cernak has added four shots on net, six PIM, 12 hits, 11 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating while playing on the second pairing.

OCTOBER 25 • ROTOWIRE

Helps out on empty-netter Cernak recorded an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.

Impact Cernak had a secondary assist on Nikita Kucherov's first empty-netter. Offense has never been a large component of Cernak's play -- he's a physical shutdown defenseman who can handle top-four minutes. He's also reached the 70-game mark just once in his first six campaigns, so any fantasy managers counting on him for hits and blocked shots should have a backup plan in place. Last season, he produced two goals, 11 helpers, 198 hits, 109 blocks and 63 PIM over 69 regular-season appearances.

OCTOBER 12 • ROTOWIRE

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AUGUST 27 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Set to return Monday Cernak (coach's decision) is expected back in the lineup against the Red Wings on Monday, Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida reports.

Impact Cernak was held out of Saturday's matchup with the Isles after missing a team meeting but it seems his punishment won't carry beyond that one game. Considering the defenseman has just two shots in his last 10 contests, fantasy players probably shouldn't expect him to break out of his 17-game goal drought any time soon.

APRIL 1 • ROTOWIRE

Not playing Saturday Cernak (coach's decision) won't play Saturday against the Islanders after missing a team meeting, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.

Impact Cernak will be replaced in the lineup by Haydn Fleury, who missed the past six games due to a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old Cernak has 11 points, 61 PIM, 94 blocked shots and 158 hits in 60 appearances this season.

MARCH 30 • ROTOWIRE

Sets up empty-netter Cernak notched an assist in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Golden Knights.

Impact Cernak has three helpers over his last seven contests, a rare run of productivity for the defense-first blueliner. The 26-year-old is up to 11 points, 144 hits, 87 blocked shots, 61 PIM and 43 shots on net through 56 outings this season. While he often sees top-four minutes, his lack of offense severely limits his fantasy value.

MARCH 20 • ROTOWIRE

Set to play Thursday Cernak (lower body) is slated to play against the Rangers on Thursday, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.

Impact Cernak appears to have avoided a serious injury after suffering a lower-body injury against the Flyers on Saturday. The 26-year-old defenseman has just two points in his last 10 contests while garnering just six shots. Outside of hits and blocks, Cernak shouldn't be expected to offer much in the way of fantasy value.

MARCH 13 • ROTOWIRE

Suffers lower-body injury Cernak sustained a lower-body injury in Saturday's game versus the Flyers, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.

Impact Per Krenn, head coach Jon Cooper didn't not provide a specific update as to how much concern there is for Cernak's status going forward. The Lightning are off until Thursday's game versus the Rangers, which may give the defenseman time to recover if it's a fairly minor injury. If he has to miss time, Calvin de Haan will likely take Cernak's spot in the lineup.

MARCH 10 • ROTOWIRE

Good to go Saturday Cernak (illness) is warming up ahead of Saturday's game versus the Islanders, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact After missing Thursday's matchup with an illness, Cernak appears ready to go Saturday. The 26-year-old blueliner has eight points (one goal, seven assists) with 128 hits and 74 blocked shots through 46 games this season.

FEBRUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Out due to illness Thursday Cernak (illness) won't play Thursday versus the Capitals, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.

Impact Cernak has been banged up a few times this season, so this is a relatively favorable reason for an absence. He should be considered day-to-day ahead of Saturday's game versus the Islanders. Calvin de Haan will play in place of Cernak on Thursday.

FEBRUARY 22 • ROTOWIRE

Pots first goal of season Cernak scored his first goal of the season in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout win over the Bruins.

Impact The 26-year-old blueliner opened the scoring early in the first period, firing a shot from the top of the faceoff circle that trickled through Linus Ullmark's five-hole. Cernak has two points in four games since returning from an upper-body injury, but his main fantasy value comes from his physical play -- he dished a game-high eight hits Tuesday, and on the season Cernak has 110 hits and 69 blocked shots in 43 games.

FEBRUARY 14 • ROTOWIRE

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