Will Nikita Kucherov be the next NHL player to hit 1,000 career points? Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/]head coach Jon Cooper has confirmed that defenseman Erik Cernak will not be in the lineup for the club's matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. Cernak, 27, left the Lightning's latest contest [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/2-lightning-stars-exit-early-vs-canucks]against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period due to injury. Now, he will miss at least this contest against the Oilers, too. It is certainly not the best news that Cernak is out against the Oilers. He is one of the Lightning's top defensemen, and they could have undoubtedly used his shutdown ability against an offensively stacked Oilers team. Erik Cernak [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1MzM2ODYwOTQ2NDA5NDI4/usatsi_22858464.jpg] Erik Cernak Cernak has appeared in 25 games this season with the Lightning, where he has seven assists, 33 blocks, 48 hits, and a plus-9 rating. With Cernak out, the Lightning have recalled [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/lightning-call-up-hard-hitting-defenseman] fellow right-shot defenseman Steven Santini from the Syracuse Crunch.
