The Tampa Bay Lightning have assigned three players to the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL: forwards Mitchell Stephens and Alexander Volkov and defenseman Erik Cernak. Going into training camp, all three players were considered candidates to make the Lightning’s roster, though it was considered a long shot. Mathieu Joseph was another such rookie candidate, but it seems with these cuts that he has made it for Opening Night.
Erik Cernak was probably the longest shot because of the number of NHL caliber (or calibre if you’re Canadian) defensemen the Lightning had under contract.