GRIT & GF
Erik Cernak

Tampa Bay Lightning, Defence

Erik Cernak

  • Stingy
  • Play-driver
  • Net-front
Points, 2026–27
1
0 G, 1 A in 8 GP
Individual xG
1.4
0 goals from it
Ice time per game
18:51
13 shots on goal
xGF% at 5v5
64.7
share of chances while he's on

Erik Cernak has 0 goals and 1 assist (1 point) in 8 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2026–27, with 13 shots on goal and 18:51 of ice time a game. His Grit & GF rating for 2026–27 is 68.1 out of 100, provisional until he has 15 to 20 games.

8 games in. The methodology requires 15 to 20 games to be accurate, so this season's rating still leans on the league average for his position and will move.

GRIT & GF

68.1050100
Rated above 93% of defencemen
Goals above average
+0.7
Wins
+0.11
Physicality86thGF96thIntimidation96thChemistry51thClutch61th

Where the rating comes from

Weight × score in standard deviations. They sum to +0.21, which the normal curve turns into the rating.

Your weights

Under these weights he ranks above 92.8% of 223 rated players

The default weights are our call. Set your own; they get rescaled to add up to 100%.

GF

−0.74 SD · 96th percentile · weight 38% · +0.3 goals

Goals from the hard areas: attempts from inside 20 feet, rebounds and tips, and his own expected goals, all situations.

  • Inner-slot attemptsper 60Unblocked attempts from inside 20 feet.0.5385th pct
  • Rebounds and tipsper 60Second chances and redirects: the goals you get by standing where it hurts.0.9291th pct
  • Individual expected goalsper 60The quality of his own chances, all situations.0.3597th pct

Percentiles are against 223 rated defencemen in 2026-27, on 125 minutes of his 5-on-5 time. Hits, blocks and takeaways count toward the rating and are worth zero goals until a study shows otherwise. Model grit-0.5.

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Game notes

Written the morning after from the night's stats, for games where he did something worth a sentence.

  1. vs FLA

    Thursday, February 5

    Drought over

    Erik Cernak scored for the first time in 36 games. He has 1 goal this season. He played 23:13 and had two shots on goal. It finished 6-1 for the Lightning.

Player card

Percentile among 194 defencemen with enough games this season. 50 is the median.

Scoring

  • Ice time per game18:51
    45
  • Points per 600.40
    22
  • Goals per 600.00
    30
  • Individual xG per 600.55
    97
  • Shots per 605.2
    80

5-on-5 play

  • xG for per 60, on ice2.78
    67
  • xG against per 60, on ice1.52
    97
  • xGF%64.7%
    96

Physical

  • Hits per 607.2
    90
  • Blocks per 605.2
    65
  • Penalty minutes per 600.8
    70

Skating and shooting

NHL EDGE puck and player tracking, 2026–27. Percentiles are the league's, against all skaters.

Skating

  • Top speed22.0 mph
    90
  • Bursts over 20 mph9
    83
  • Distance skated22 mi
    56

Shooting

  • Hardest shot88.9 mph
    69
  • Shots on goal13
    83
  • Shooting %0.0%
    43

Zone time

  • Offensive zone time41.7%
    53
  • Offensive zone time, even strength43.6%
    73

Who he plays with

His most-used defence partners at 5-on-5 this season, with what happened while they were out together.

PartnerGamesTOIShot attemptsxGGoalsxG share
Ryan McDonagh876:2073–603.2–2.06–361%
Victor Hedman835:0641–292.2–0.92–071%
J.J. Moser87:135–50.2–0.20–049%
Charle-Edouard D'Astous75:094–00.2–0.00–0100%

Where he shoots from

His unblocked shots this season, attacking right. 0 goals from 17 attempts.

GoalShot or miss

Last 20 games

Columns are his individual expected goals, the quality of his own chances. Dots are goals he scored.

ixGGoal
0.000.501.00
04-0710-17

By season

SeasonGPGAPSOGixGTOI/GPHitsBlkxGF% 5v5
2026–278011131.418:51181364.7
2025–26613811532.617:371129952.0
2024–257631821645.018:1615710051.7
2023–246921113532.619:1219810948.5

Last 20 games

DateTOIGASOGixGHitsBlkPIM
2026-10-1721:320010.89010
2026-10-1514:550030.05120
2026-10-1317:020010.03242
2026-10-1019:010010.06320
2026-10-0819:320110.11100
2026-10-0522:150010.01310
2026-10-0320:340040.13330
2026-10-0116:000010.11500
2026-05-0317:180000.02010
2026-05-0123:100020.05310
2026-04-2915:560010.02020
2026-04-2619:370000.00210
2026-04-2417:540010.09032
2026-04-2121:260110.00320
2026-04-1920:530010.17410
2026-04-1515:530010.02020
2026-04-1319:421020.26120
2026-04-1113:370000.01320
2026-04-0922:050010.03420
2026-04-0718:220010.01030