This is certainly tough news for the Lightning.
While speaking to reporters, including NHL.com's Benjamin Pierce, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shared that defenseman Erik Cernak is considered week-to-week due to injury.
With Cernak being one of the Lightning's top defensemen, it is certainly less than ideal that he is going to be out week-to-week for the Bolts. This is especially so when noting that blueliners Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh are also out for the Lightning due to injury.
With Cernak being out, the Lightning will now need to adjust to not having the shutdown defenseman in their lineup. Replacing Cernak when he is out of the lineup will not be an easy task for the Bolts, but they have depth defensemen who can try to fill in.
Cernak has appeared in 19 games so far this season with the Lightning, where he has recorded zero goals, four assists, 40 hits, 43 blocks, and an even plus/minus rating. This is after he posted three goals, 21 points, 99 blocks, 157 hits, and a plus-29 rating in 76 games this past season for the Bolts.
In 460 career NHL games over eight seasons with the Lightning, Cernak has recorded 23 goals, 113 points, 646 blocks, 1,237 hits, and a plus-93 rating.