Erik Cernak
Age 29 · Shoots right · 6′4″ · 232 lb · Born Kosice, SVK
Drafted 2015, #43 overall by Los Angeles
2025-262025-26: 61 games, 3-8-11, 0.18 points per game Season detail →
Erik Cernak has 0 points in 3 games of 2026-27, after 11 points in 61 games last season.
This season
2026-27 regular season · 3 games Small sample0 points in 3 games for the 12th-placed Tampa Bay
Where he ranks among NHL defencemen with 2+ games, then his scoring rate through the season in ten-game blocks.
Points per game · rolling blocks
Dashed line: season average (0.0). Dark blocks sit at or above it.
Where he ranks
See all: Where he ranks →A top-four defenceman who kills penalties
Even-strength, power-play and shorthanded minutes, and how much of Tampa Bay's power play went through him.
Special teams
Most attempts from the slot
Every attempt, attacking right, from the games with a stored shot map.
By zone
11 attempts across the 3 games with a stored shot map. Small sample
Expected goals
See all: Expected goals →2026-27 · 3 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
2025-26 · 61 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG.
Every unblocked attempt he took, weighed by its chance of scoring from that spot, shot type and strength. Above zero is finishing better than the chances.
xG leadersHardest shot in the 81st percentile of defencemen: 88.92 mph
How fast he skated, how far, how hard he shot and where on the ice his shifts were spent, against the average NHL defenceman.
Where his shifts were spent
Share of his time on ice in each zone.
Fastest moments
- 19.92@
NYR1 Oct · 2nd 00:37 - 19.51@NYR1 Oct · 3rd 00:12
- 19.39vs
PHI5 Oct · 3rd 13:41 - 19.18vsPHI5 Oct · 3rd 11:14
- 18.92@NYR1 Oct · 1st 11:04
- 18.86vsPHI5 Oct · 1st 05:11
- 18.80vsPHI5 Oct · 2nd 16:45
- 18.76@NYR1 Oct · 2nd 05:34
His fastest bursts in mph.
Bursts per speed band, against the defenceman average.
Hardest shots
- 88.92vs
WSH3 Oct · 3rd 08:01 - 81.27vsWSH3 Oct · 1st 16:57
- 80.72vsWSH3 Oct · 1st 01:30
- 80.05@NYR1 Oct · 1st 12:09
- 73.73vsPHI5 Oct · 3rd 12:00
- 71.40vsWSH3 Oct · 1st 11:07
- 70.69@NYR1 Oct · 2nd 05:48
- 65.28vsPHI5 Oct · 2nd 04:57
Shot speed in mph, every attempt type.
Shot attempts per speed band.
Distance, last 10 games
- 3.02vsPHI5 Oct · 22:15 TOI
- 2.89vsWSH3 Oct · 20:34 TOI
- 2.37@NYR1 Oct · 16:00 TOI
Miles per game with his time on ice. Season average 2.76 a game. Small sample: these numbers move a lot in the first weeks of a season.
Physical play, discipline and faceoffs
Possession events, penalties drawn against penalties taken, and faceoffs.
Possession and physical
Against Minnesota, a point in one of two
MINW 6-31011+115:28MINL 1-50000−115:37PHIW 4-10001+322:15WSHW 3-10004+120:34NYRW 5-10001−116:0011 points in 61 games on a team that finished 5th
Where he ranks among NHL defencemen with 40+ games, then his scoring rate through the season in ten-game blocks.
Points per game · rolling blocks
Dashed line: season average (0.2). Dark blocks sit at or above it.
Where he ranks
See all: Where he ranks →A top-four defenceman who kills penalties
Even-strength, power-play and shorthanded minutes, and how much of Tampa Bay's power play went through him.
Special teams
Power-play involvement
Team power-play goals from the season team report; involvement is his power-play points.
2 of 3 goals broke a tie
How the 3 goals and 8 assists were scored: when, at what strength, in what game state, and per 60 minutes.
Goals by period
Goals by game state
2 of 3 goals broke a tie; 0 came with Tampa Bay trailing.
Most attempts from the point, goals from the slot
Every attempt, attacking right, from the games with a stored shot map.
By zone
133 attempts across the 56 games with a stored shot map.
Expected goals
See all: Expected goals →2026-27 · 3 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
2025-26 · 61 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG.
Every unblocked attempt he took, weighed by its chance of scoring from that spot, shot type and strength. Above zero is finishing better than the chances.
xG leadersTop speed 22.23 mph, hardest shot 87.37 mph
How fast he skated, how far, how hard he shot and where on the ice his shifts were spent, against the average NHL defenceman.
Where his shifts were spent
Share of his time on ice in each zone.
Fastest moments
Bursts per speed band, against the defenceman average.
Hardest shots
Shot attempts per speed band.
Takes more penalties than he draws
Possession events, penalties drawn against penalties taken, and faceoffs.
Possession and physical
Points come in bunches, not every night (10 of 61)
How often he scores, how long the streaks run.
Streaks
Against Minnesota, a point in one of two
MINW 6-31011+115:28MINL 1-50000−115:37NYRL 2-40001015:53
DETW 4-3 OT1012+119:42
BOSW 2-10000−113:37
MTLL 1-20001−122:05
OTTL 2-60001018:22
BUFL 2-40001013:58BOSW 3-10001+117:27
PITW 6-30000+217:21MTLL 1-40005015:58
NSHW 3-20001−115:49PHIW 4-10001+322:15WSHW 3-10004+120:34NYRW 5-10001−116:00Better on the road
Home and road
By opponent
By month
$5.2M a season through 2030-31
In 2025-26 he scored 2.1 points per $1M of cap hit, 184th of 191 defencemen with 40 or more games and a current contract.
Cap hit is the average annual charge against the salary cap, not a yearly salary; cap value is cap hit times the years of the deal, not a reported total. As of 2 Oct 2026.
With Tampa Bay
Eight seasons · 2018-19 to 2025-2639th in franchise points since 1990-91
Built from goal and assist records: who assists on his goals, whose goals he assists, and his scoring against each opponent.
Franchise ranks
See all: Franchise ranks →Career
Regular season and playoffsEight seasons, all with the Lightning
Career · regular season
Season rows reconcile with the official career totals.
Draft
Updated after every final · through 6 Oct