Lightning's Erik Cernak: Placed on injured reserve
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Cernak (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per the NHL media site.
The Lightning announced Monday that Cernak was considered week-to-week due to an undisclosed injury, so his placement on injured reserve isn't particularly surprising. Declan Carlile and Steve Santini will likely operate on the third defensive pairing in Cernak's absence, while Maxim Groshev was called up from AHL Syracuse on Monday to provide additional depth.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: In action against Flyers
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Kucherov (undisclosed) will be in the lineup versus Philadelphia on Monday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Kucherov will feature in his usual first-line role in addition to linking up with the No. 1 power-play unit. Despite getting hurt versus the Capitals on Saturday, the veteran winger still managed to rack up three points and extend his point streak to five games.
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Lightning's Brayden Point: Not playing Monday
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Point (undisclosed) won't play against Philadelphia on Monday, according to Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.
Head coach Jon Cooper also said Monday that Point's availability for Wednesday's matchup against Calgary is "dicey." The 29-year-old Point sustained an injury in Saturday's 5-3 win over Washington, and it's unclear when he will be ready to return. He has produced three goals, 11 points and 44 shots on net across 21 appearances this season. With Point unavailable, Dominic James will occupy a top-six role against the Flyers on Monday.
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Lightning's Pontus Holmberg: Will remain sidelined Monday
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Head coach Jon Cooper said that Holmberg (undisclosed) will remain sidelined for Monday's game against the Flyers but is getting closer to returning, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.
While a clear timetable for Holmberg's return hasn't yet been revealed, it's at least encouraging that he seems to be trending in the right direction after landing on injured reserve in mid-November. Holmberg appeared in 15 games prior to sustaining his injury, and he recorded a goal, four assists, 18 hits, 10 PIM and seven blocked shots while averaging 12:24 of ice time.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Facing multi-week absence
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Cernak was deemed week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports Monday.
Cernak's latest injury is reportedly unrelated to the previous issue that kept him out for a pair of games prior to his return to the lineup Saturday. This latest issue seems significantly more severe than the previous one, given his timeline. For now, it will be Declan Carlile and Steve Santini on the third pairing, though Maxim Groshev was called up from AHL Syracuse on Monday. If the Bolts need a roster spot, Cernak will likely be designated for injured reserve.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Leaves ice first Monday
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Vasilevskiy was the first goalie off Monday, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports, indicating he'll be between the pipes at home versus the Flyers.
Vasilevskiy is riding a three-game winning streak during which he has allowed just three goals on 80 shots for a .963 save percentage. After a rough start to the year in which the veteran backstop lost five straight appearances, it seems Vasilevskiy has turned things around. In his last 10 outings, the Russian is 8-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA, though he is still looking for his first shutout of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Lightning's Maxim Groshev: Summoned from minors
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Groshev was recalled from AHL Syracuse on Monday.
Groshev has accounted for six assists in 17 minor-league outings this season. He will be an option for Monday's matchup against Philadelphia and could make his NHL debut if Erik Cernak, who was absent from the morning skate, is unavailable due to an injury.
Cernak notched an assist and three blocked shots in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Capitals.
Cernak returned from a two-game absence due to a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old saw 23:24 of ice time in his return, a season-high mark, so he appears to have no limitations going forward as long as he can avoid other injuries. He's at four helpers, 13 shots on net, 21 PIM, 40 hits and 43 blocks through 19 outings this season. That heavy playing style can take a toll, but Cernak is a worthy option for fantasy managers in banger leagues.
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Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Puts away power-play tally
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Bjorkstrand scored a power-play goal on two shots, added two hits and went minus-2 in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Capitals.
Bjorkstrand scored the go-ahead goal at 5:21 of the second period, and the Lightning were able to grow and maintain their lead from there. The 30-year-old winger hadn't scored since Opening Night versus the Senators. He has heated up recently with four assists over his last eight outings. For the season, Bjorkstrand is at two goals, eight points (four on the power play), 36 shots on net, 20 hits, 13 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating through 21 contests. He's been in a middle-six role but could get promoted to a more prominent spot if Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed) is unable to play Monday versus the Flyers.
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Lightning's Anthony Cirelli: Closes out scoring Saturday
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Cirelli scored a goal in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Capitals.
Cirelli closed out the scoring for the Lightning with a backhander at 15:51 of the final frame. It was his eighth goal of the season, but it might be the spark he needs to turn things around. Cirelli missed four games from Nov. 8-16 due to an upper-body injury, and he still has only three points (two goals, one assist) in six games in November. That's poor production for a top-six forward, let alone one that notched a career-high 59 points across 80 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.
Hagel recorded two goals, including a shorthanded one, and two even-strength assists in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Capitals.
Hagel was absolutely unstoppable in this game and was directly involved in four of the team's five goals en route to posting a season-high mark in points in a single game. Hagel snapped a two-game pointless streak with his sixth multi-point effort of the campaign. Even though he's gone pointless in 10 of his 20 appearances this season, his top-six role in the lineup should continue to provide Hagel with tons of scoring opportunities. He has 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 20 appearances in 2025-26.
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Lightning's Jonas Johansson: Earns win over Capitals
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Johansson stopped 29 of 32 shots in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Capitals.
Johansson surrendered a goal in each period, but the 30-year-old had enough offensive support to secure the win with relative ease. He has four victories this season in seven appearances and six starts (4-2-0), but as the backup behind Andrei Vasilevskiy, Johansson's fantasy upside remains low as a spot starter based on the matchup.
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Lightning's Jakob Pelletier: Three-point effort Saturday
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Pelletier scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Syracuse's 5-3 win over Bridgeport on Saturday.
Pelletier had a brief stint in the NHL last weekend, logging 6:12 of ice time in his lone appearance. He's returned to the Crunch with four points over his last two games. The forward is doing quite well at the AHL level with six goals and 12 assists over 15 appearances.
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Lightning's Brayden Point: Hurt versus Capitals on Saturday
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Point (undisclosed) did not finish Saturday's game versus the Capitals, and head coach Jon Cooper didn't have an update on his status after the contest, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Point tried to play through the injury, sustained late in the second period, but he was done after taking just one shift in the third. The Lightning also lost Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed) to injury in the game, which could leave the team's offense short-staffed for Monday's home game versus the Flyers.
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Hurt in Saturday's game
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Kucherov (undisclosed) won't return to Saturday's game versus the Capitals, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He finished with one goal and two assists (one on the power play).
Kucherov sustained the injury after a hit early in the second period, and he was unable to get back in the contest. Any potential absence looms large for one of the league's best players. Kucherov's status should be updated prior to Monday's game versus the Flyers. Jack Finley would be the top candidate to enter the lineup if Kucherov misses time, but Nick Paul or Oliver Bjorkstrand would likely get the biggest bumps in ice time.
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Lightning's Erik Cernak: Good to go
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Cernak (lower body) is expected to play Saturday versus the Capitals, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Cernak was on the likely side of a game-time decision and should be good to go after skating in warmups on the first pairing. Steve Santini will exit the lineup to make space for Cernak.
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Lightning's Victor Hedman: Lands on LTIR
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Hedman (undisclosed) was placed on long-term injured reserve, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times on Saturday.
Hedman has already missed Tampa Bay's last five games, and he now will not be eligible to return to the lineup until at least Dec. 4 against Pittsburgh. Ryan McDonagh is on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury, so the Lightning will have to continue to navigate their way without their two best all-around blueliners. Hedman was riding a four-game point streak prior to getting injured, and overall, he has 12 helpers and a plus-1 rating across 15 appearances this season.
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