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Lightning’s Erik Cernak Out Week-To-Week

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Lightning head coach Jon Cooper announced to reporters, including the team’s Benjamin Pierce, that defenseman Erik Černák has sustained an undisclosed injury and is out week-to-week. It’s not related to the lower-body issue that kept Černák out of a pair of games last week. Cooper also said that center Brayden Point won’t play tonight against the Flyers after leaving Saturday’s game against the Capitals with an undisclosed injury, but he’s day-to-day and shouldn’t miss more than a couple of games.

With Černák’s injury, the Bolts recalled defender Maxim Groshev from AHL Syracuse. They’ve had an open roster spot for the last few games, so no corresponding move is necessary.

Černák’s landing back on the injured list leaves Tampa without three of its top four defenders once again. Victor Hedman has already missed six games with an undisclosed issue and won’t be back in the lineup until Dec. 2 at the earliest. Ryan McDonagh has missed the same amount of time but could be back sooner since, unlike Hedman, he hasn’t been transferred to long-term injured reserve.

Despite the pileup, the Lightning have managed to win four times in that six-game stretch. They sit second in the Atlantic Division with a 12-7-2 record, one point back of the Red Wings with one game in hand. There are plenty of reasons for optimism, considering they managed to rebound from the 1-4-2 hole they put themselves in to start the year and have largely carried that momentum through a stretch of brutal luck. Unfortunately, their top right-shot option on the blue line in Černák won’t be a part of that run for the foreseeable future.

Černák continues to be arguably Tampa’s best pure shutdown option. After recording a career-high 21 points and a +29 rating in 76 appearances last season, he’d rattled off four assists and an even rating through 19 appearances in 2025-26. While the Bolts have been outscored 16-12 with Černák on the ice at 5-on-5 this year, on pace for the worst goal share of his career, he’s been the victim of some poor goaltending. His pairing with McDonagh has controlled 57.6% of expected goals together, per MoneyPuck. With McDonagh sidelined, Černák also elevated rookie Charle-Edouard D’Astous to a 53.8 xGF%.

Groshev, who was drafted as a winger but has since converted to defense, won’t be making his NHL debut in Černák’s absence, it appears. They were already rostering six healthy defenders, so Groshev will serve as injury insurance on the blue line, who can also step in at forward if needed. A third-round pick in 2020 out of Russia, the 6’2″ rearguard is in his third season with Syracuse but has yet to make his NHL debut. He’s managed six assists through 17 games this season and has a team-high +8 rating, leaving the Bolts intrigued by the 23-year-old’s defensive upside.

As for the weekend’s news that both Point and superstar Nikita Kucherov departed the Washington game with injuries, they’ve clearly avoided a worst-case scenario. Kucherov wasn’t carrying any injury designation at today’s practice, while Point, who’s struggled this year with just three goals and 11 points in 21 games and could’ve used a reset anyway, won’t have an extended absence.

Flyers’ Jett Luchanko Traded In OHL

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For the second season in a row, Flyers center Jett Luchanko was returned to his junior team weeks after making Philadelphia’s opening night roster. Unlike last season, though, the 19-year-old pivot won’t be finishing the year with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. They’ve dealt their captain to the Brantford Bulldogs for draft-eligible center Layne Gallacher and four draft picks, the team announced.

The Storm moving Luchanko was a foregone conclusion. Whether the 2024 No. 13 overall pick will be a fixture on the Flyers next season remains to be seen, but it is known that this is his last year in junior hockey. It’s either the NHL or the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms for Luchanko in 2025-26. Guelph, which hasn’t advanced past the first round of the OHL playoffs since winning the championship in 2019 and missed them entirely last season, was recently awarded the 2027 Memorial Cup. Given they’ll need to put up a competitive performance at the end of next season against the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL champions, the immediate expectation was that Luchanko would be exchanged for a haul of assets that they could use to improve their outlook for 2026-27.

For his part, Luchanko took the demotion back to Guelph and his impending departure in stride. Despite playing in only 11 of their 24 games so far, the playmaking pivot had already rocketed up to third on the team in scoring with two goals and 15 assists for 17 points.

Luchanko has been one of the OHL’s best playmakers since his draft year despite toiling on an otherwise weak Guelph roster. Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Luchanko’s 104 assists in 125 games rank 13th in the league. Among players with at least 100 appearances during that time, his 1.18 points per game rank 18th.

The 5’11” center was viewed by most as a reach at 13th overall, but the Flyers have been impressed enough with his early development to give him a pair of four-game trials before sending him back to Guelph. His stat line was the same each time: no points with a -3 rating. He’s totaled four shots on goal and eight hits while going 48.3% in the faceoff dot and averaging 11:31 per game.

It’ll be particularly interesting to see how much Luchanko’s production takes off in Brantford. Now in his DY+2, a major explosion should be expected – particularly on a Bulldogs offense that already boasts the league’s two leading scorers in Kraken prospect Jake O’Brien (9-31–40 in 21 GP) and Wild draftee Adam Benák (13-25–38 in 21 GP). That’s not their only star power, either. Their roster now includes five first-round picks: O’Brien, Luchanko, Chicago’s Marek Vanacker, St. Louis’ Adam Jiříček, and Toronto’s Ben Danford.

As such, the Bulldogs have yet to lose a game in regulation. They’re 18-0-5 through 23 games and are the overwhelming favorite to take home both the OHL title and the Memorial Cup at season’s end. Since being established as the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2015-16, they’ve won the OHL title twice – 2018 and 2022 – but didn’t manage to convert either of those into a Memorial Cup victory.

New York Islanders Reassign Marshall Warren

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According to a team announcement, the New York Islanders have assigned defenseman Marshall Warren to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. Without a corresponding roster move, the Islanders are down to six defensemen on the active roster.

Warren, 24, was recalled for the injured blueliner Alexander Romanov. Due to a scary collision with Mikko Rantanen in New York’s recent game against the Dallas Stars, Romanov will miss the next five to six months after shoulder surgery.

The former sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild has quickly become the first man up for the Islanders on defense. It’s somewhat surprising given that Warren was relatively disappointing with AHL Bridgeport last season, scoring four goals and 17 points in 53 games with a -7 rating.

However, he’s performed much better this season. Despite only playing in 10 games due to the two NHL callups, Warren remains second on the team in scoring among defensemen with two goals and nine points.

Unfortunately, Warren didn’t get any playing time with New York during his most recent call-up. It’s fairly surprising given his play from earlier in the season, but the team opted for Adam Boqvist nonetheless. During his first recall in late October, Warren registered two assists in two games with a 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Pittsburgh Penguins Make Several Roster Moves

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The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they’ve recalled forward Tristan Broz from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and reassigned forward Philip Tomasino in a corresponding roster move. Additionally, the Penguins have assigned defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Jack St. Ivany to the AHL on conditioning loans.

Broz, 23, will have the opportunity to make his NHL debut. Pittsburgh selected the Bloomington, MN native with the 58th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he’s been playing with the AHL Penguins for the last two years.

He was relatively successful in his first full year with WBS, scoring 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games with a -7 rating. It wasn’t enough to land Broz on the AHL’s All-Rookie Team last year, but he finished eighth on the team in scoring.

This season, Broz is off to a terrific start, scoring eight goals and 13 points in 18 games with a +5 rating. Being that he was third on the team, the top four scorers for the AHL Penguins this season are now all rostered in the NHL.

Meanwhile, Tomasino is guaranteed to play in his first AHL contest since the 2023-24 campaign, assuming he reports. The former first-round pick of the Nashville Predators has struggled this season, registering one assist in nine games, averaging 12:10 of ice time per game. He cleared waivers five days ago, but had remained on the NHL roster until today.

Lastly, Brunicke and St. Ivany will head to the AHL for a short time. Brunicke has been on the roster for the entire 2025-26 campaign up to this point, though he hasn’t appeared in a contest since early November. In the games he has played, he’s scored one goal while averaging 15:43 of ice time. On his conditioning loan, he’ll have access to far more ice time.

St. Ivany, on the other hand, hasn’t appeared in a contest for the Penguins this season. The two-year veteran began the year on Pittsburgh’s season-opening injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. Today’s news confirms that St. Ivany has been activated from that list, nearly two weeks after his projected return date.

Should The Flames Make Room For Matvei Gridin?

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It’s safe to say the 2025-26 season has been disappointing for the Calgary Flames. One season after finishing one regulation win outside of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Flames are one of two teams that haven’t managed a .400 win percentage through the first quarter of the 2025-26 campaign.

However, it’s relatively easy to find the problem. Calgary is in second-to-last place in total offense, averaging 2.38 GF/G. Additionally, the team’s power play is also the second worst with a 13.41% success rate. The Flames have scored one or fewer goals in seven games this season.

When they do score, the usual suspects are contributing. Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson lead their respective positions in scoring, followed by Matthew Coronato, Mikael Backlund, Morgan Frost, and Jonathan Huberdeau at the top of the table. Still, with the likes of Yegor Sharangovich and MacKenzie Weegar struggling to live up to their typical standards, would it make sense for Calgary to inject more offense into its lineup?

Fortunately, the Flames have an in-house candidate in the wings. The 28th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Matvei Gridin, who’s already appeared in four games with Calgary this season, is off to an exceptional start with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.

Currently in his first professional season in North America, Gridin is second on the Wranglers in scoring with eight goals and 20 points in 17 games, one point off veteran Martin Frk for the team lead.

Furthermore, Gridin is the highest-scoring rookie in the AHL up to this point, managing a two-point lead over the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect, Nick Lardis. Not only is Gridin sitting first amongst rookies, but he’s tied for third in the entire league.

Despite the dreadful start to the season, the Flames are only six points back of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, giving them plenty of time to catch up. Although he shouldn’t be considered a cure-all, Gridin could provide the necessary offense, both at even strength and with a man advantage, to make Calgary much more competitive on the offensive side of the puck.

Still, there are other things to consider outside of salvaging this season. Given his age, Gridin is eligible to have his entry-level contract slide should he appear in nine or fewer games with the Flames this season. If Calgary has already decided to punt on the 2025-26 campaign, it wouldn’t make sense to recall Gridin this season.

Canadiens Recall Adam Engström

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The Montreal Canadiens will reward a top prospect for a five-point night in the AHL. Defenseman Adam Engström has been recalled to the NHL lineup ahead of a three-game road-trip. The 23-year-old leads AHL defenseman with five goals, and leads the Laval Rockets defense with 14 points. Eight of those points have come in his last four games.

On the other side of his hot streak, Engström will now receive the first call-up of his professional career. He signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens, and joined Laval, last season. His rookie AHL year had its ups-and-downs and ended with 32 points and 50 penalty minutes in 79 total games. Engström was no stranger to pro hockey before his time in the AHL, having already scored 38 points in 95 SHL games between 2021 and 2024. But breaking into North America, and getting year-one out of the way, seems to have a new layer of confidence to his game that’s paying off this season.

Montreal drafted Engström in the third-round of the 2022 NHL Draft, following a year where he posted 35 points in 51 games in Sweden’s junior league. He was lauded as a reliable, two-way defender capable of moving the puck in his draft year. In three years since, he’s added a strong physical frame and better jump towards the puck, bringing his game to a much higher level.

Engstrom will compete with Arber Xhekaj for a spot on Montreal’s third-pair. Xhekaj could earn a slight bit of favor, with his brother Florian Xhekaj also in the lineup. But should Montreal want a responsible play-driver, over a pure enforcer, a swap to Engström could be timely.

Oilers’ Jack Roslovic Proving A Worthwhile Signing

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Among the most discussed free agents this summer was forward Jack Roslovic, who didn’t sign a contract – not even a training camp try-out – until October 8th. The Edmonton Oilers finally stepped up to add the forward on their Opening Day, signing Roslovic to a one-year, $1.5MM contract.

Roslovic’s free agency stretching into the Fall was shocking. He scored 22 goals, a career-high, and 39 points with the Carolina Hurricanes last season – in an impactful, middle-six role. That is the exact presence he has brought to Edmonton so far. He has carved out a spot on the second-line and second power-play unit en route to nine goals and 17 points in his first 22 games with the Oilers.

His knack for making the gritty play has proven to be exactly what the high-skill Oilers were lacking. It has also helped Edmonton separate Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl onto two lines. Of the two, it’s Draisaitl’s – and, Roslovic’s – line that has dominated the competiton. Their trio, along with Vasily Podkolzin, has outscored opponents eight-to-three in 120 minutes of even-strength action. They’re also winning the battle for possession, generating eight shots for and seven shots against per game on average.

That line is vastly outperforming their expected-goals (2.50), and Roslovic himself is outperforming his career average shooting percentage (18.0% this year, 12.5% average), suggesting their red-hot scoring will slow down soon. On the same coin, it seems Edmonton isn’t getting quite all they could out of their flashy new addition. Roslovic has continued to dominate the faceoff dot despite operating on Draisaitl’s wing. He has won 58.7 percent of his 46 faceoffs this season, technically the highest on the team, just above Draisaitl’s 56.9 percent on a much more commendable 385 draws. Still, Roslovic is showing that he could stick at the center position if called upon, after posting a career-high 54.1 FO% on 355 faceoffs last year.

That could offer Edmonton a sneaky bit of flexibility as the season drags on. Previously, bumping Draisaitl up to McDavid’s flank would leave Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – and his career 44.7 FO% – as the team’s second-line center. With Roslovic, Edmonton could keep Nugent-Hopkins on the wing when he moves to the second-line.

Roslovic’s lineup impact is likely to look quite a bit different in March than it does now. His hot scoring is bound to slow, but his spot in the lineup should only become more concrete. He won’t provide McDavid with another star winger, but the security he provides Edmonton’s middle-six is invaluable. It’s a nifty bit of support for the cheap cost of $1.5MM, or only 1.5 percent of the salary cap. He is due for a new contract next summer – but it should be no issue to re-sign him with a slight pay boost if he continues to provide this kind of impact.

Edmonton is pushed up against a Stanley Cup championship. They have lost back-to-back Finals, and re-signed superstar McDavid to a three-year extension that upped the pressure to win before 2028. Any positive addition is one more body pushing towards that goal – and the Oilers have landed a discount in their October signing of Roslovic. His impact in the second-half could tilt the needle, and prove 31 other teams wrong for leaving him on the open market.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports.

Rangers Announce Multiple Roster Moves

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The Rangers have cycled around youngsters on the NHL roster. Winger Brett Berard and goaltender Dylan Garand have both been recalled, while defenseman Scott Morrow has been assigned back to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Morrow stepped into his first three games with the Rangers on his latest recall. He recorded no scoring and a -2 rating.

To make room for Garand’s addition, defenseman William Borgen has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to his last game on Nov. 18, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. He will be eligible to return as soon as he’s back to full health, but is currently carrying a day-to-day designation as he recovers from an upper-body injury. This move will leave the Rangers with six healthy defensemen and only two right-shot defenders for their upcoming schedule.

These moves will most notably help New York address the injury that backup goaltender Jonathan Quick sustained in Saturday’s loss to the Mammoth. He managed to finish the game, but Garand’s call-up could indicate that Quick’s health is still up in the air. The Rangers host the St. Louis Blues on Monday, then depart for a two-game road trip on Wednesday. Garand could offer emergency support should Quick need to step out of any portion of that road trip.

The rookie goaltender has faced some early-season struggles in Hartford’s starting role. He’s appeared in 11 of the team’s 17 games and set a 3-6-2 record and .897 save percentage. The performance is well below the 20-10-8 record and .913 SV% he put up in 39 appearances with Hartford last season.

Despite that slow step, Garand has firmly remained New York’s third-string goaltender. He will now bear the fruits of that standing with an injury call-up. Garand could even make his NHL debut on this recall, if New York wanted to keep star Igor Shesterkin from starting in three games straight.

This move will also bring Berard back to the top flight. The hard-nosed winger has had his ups and downs with the Wolf Pack, recording nine points and 24 penalty minutes in 17 games so far. He has spent the start of the season in the minor leagues, despite scoring 10 points in 35 NHL games in his rookie season last year. This could be a chance for the 23-year-old to return to the NHL lineup, though it’d likely be in a bottom-six role.

Meanwhile, Morrow will return to Hartford once again. He has bounced between the NHL and AHL lineups all season long, after being acquired by New York in the summer trade that sent K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes. Morrow already has two points, four penalty minutes, and a minus-five in 11 games with Hartford. He’ll look to boost those numbers in his return.

Jets’ Neal Pionk, Josh Morrissey Leave With Injury

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The Winnipeg Jets saw their top two defenders leave Sunday’s match against the Minnesota Wild. Neal Pionk appeared to be in pain from the opening shift. He labored on the bench throughout the first period, and left the game before the start of the second. Later in the second period, Josh Morrissey had a puck riccochet up into his face. He immediately returned to the locker room but returned in the third period. Winnipeg went on to lose the game 3-0.

Morrissey appeared to be no worse for wear after returning. He finished the day with 25:49 in ice time, the most of any player in the Sunday matchup. That will be a silver lining for the Jets, who lean heavily on Morrissey as their top-defenfer. He has recorded five goals, 22 points, and a team-leading 43 blocked shots in 20 games – while averaging more than 24 minutes of ice time. He will now have until Wednesday to rest this upper-body injury.

Pionk, however, could miss time. He seemed clearly nagged by a lower-body injury sustained on a hit attempt in his first shift. He’s operated as Morrissey’s relief this season, averaging 23:46 in ice time through 20 games from the second-pair. Pionk has recorded five points, 36 blocked shots, and 41 hits in that timeframe – sticking to the hard-nosed defensive style that earned him a six-year extension last April.

Winnipeg would have to fill a role on their top defense pair and top penalty-kill unit should Pionk fall out of the lineup. Dylan DeMelo could be asked to double up his role, sticking next to Morrissey and taking on some vacant second-pair minutes. The Jets could also promote Colin Miller from the third-pair. Winnipeg will likely turn towards healthy scratch Luke Schenn to fill the remaining lineup hole. He has two points and a minus-four in 16 games this season.

However the Jets choose to shake up their defense, the resulting group will face a tough task. Winnipeg lost superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to an extended absence late last week. They have turned towards Eric Comrie and rookie Thomas Milic to fill the crease – and have now allowed three-or-more goals in six of their last seven games.

Chris Driedger Terminates Deal With KHL’s Traktor

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The rotation of goaltenders between North American and European pros is set to continue. Former Ottawa Senators goaltender Chris Driedger has terminated his deal with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk after playing in 23 games with the club. His next steps haven’t yet been laid out. Driedger has played in 67 NHL games and 217 AHL games over a 10-year pro career.

Russia was meant to offer the 31-year-old a fresh start after he managed an 11-9-6 record and .875 save percentage in 25 AHL games last season. Instead, his struggles continued overseas, with Driedger posting an 8-9-0 record and a .897 save percentage with Traktor. Chelyabinsk as a club is tied for the most goals allowed (98) in the KHL through their first 30 games.

Traktor will turn to 26-year-old Sergei Mylnikov to relieve Driedger’s starting role. Mylnikov hasn’t played since late October, as Traktor tried to force Driedger onto the positive side by awarding him every start in November. Now, the career backup will get his first chance to step into lofty minutes. He’ll be backed up by 23-year-old Saveli Sherstnev.

Meanwhile, Driedger will re-enter free agency. He seems destined for a return to North America, where he spent the entirety of his pro career prior to this season. He has had moments of genuinely strong play, including a .933 across 35 games with the Florida Panthers between 2019 and 2021. But a move to the Seattle Kraken in 2021 knocked his save percentage below .900. He was able to get above that mark in the minors – and even reached a .917 save percentage in 39 games with Coachella Valley in 2023-24. But it didn’t stick at the top flight, pushing Driedger to move across the world this summer.

Should he return to North America, Driedger would likely be set for a return to the AHL, where he’ll have a chance to earn a starting role once again. He’ll have to find success in that path before a return to the NHL comes into focus, especially after a down year in one of Europe’s top leagues.

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