NHL Player News

Reilly (chest) has been skating and working out and intends to return by the end of the season.

Reilly doesn't have a firm timeline to return, but that's not a surprise given the nature of his absence, which is due to a heart condition. The defenseman will likely need to ramp up carefully over a long period of time and probably won't be back before late February at the earliest.

Thrun (lower body) is projected to play Tuesday versus the Predators, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Thrun appears to have gotten through warm-ups without any issues. He'll stay in the lineup Tuesday over Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is no longer sick but will serve as a healthy scratch. Thrun is stuck in a 17-game point drought.

Cernak (undisclosed) won't play Tuesday versus the Canadiens, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.

Cernak will miss his third straight game, meaning Max Crozier will get another appearance. The next chance for Cernak to play is Friday in Chicago, which is the first half of a back-to-back to close out the Lightning's four-game road trip -- they're also in Detroit on Saturday.

Vlasic (illness) could return to the lineup versus Nashville on Tuesday, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

Vlasic sat out Monday's 6-3 loss to Boston after playing through an illness in Saturday's 3-1 defeat against Minnesota. If Henry Thrun (lower body) is available for Tuesday's matchup, Vlasic will be a healthy scratch. The 37-year-old Vlasic has two assists, four shots on goal, four blocked shots and two hits in five appearances this season.

Thrun (lower body) will be a game-time decision against the Predators on Tuesday, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.

Thrun logged 15:51 of ice time in Monday's 6-3 loss to Boston. He has eight assists, 37 shots on goal, 44 blocked shots and 33 hits in 40 appearances this season. If Thrun is unavailable to play, Marc-Edouard Vlasic (illness) will draw back into the lineup.

Juulsen (undisclosed) isn't expected to be in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup against Buffalo, according to Ben Kuzma of Postmedia.

Juulsen is day-to-day and will miss his third straight game. It remains unclear when he will be available to return. He hasn't earned a point in 32 appearances this season while collecting 25 shots on goal, 57 blocked shots and 89 hits. Mark Friedman will replace Tyler Myers (suspension) in Tuesday's lineup.

Gavrikov's point drought reached 11 games in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Penguins.

In that span, Gavrikov has a minus-6 rating, nine shots on net, seven hits and 21 blocked shots. The 29-year-old defenseman is almost always a steady source of blocks, but this is a poor stretch of play for him. He's at 16 points, 51 shots on net, 89 blocks and a plus-11 rating across 44 appearances. Gavrikov is a virtual lock for top-four minutes, but his role could shrink slightly once Drew Doughty (ankle) is ready to make his season debut, which could happen before the end of January.

Pickering provided an assist and two PIM in Monday's 5-1 win over the Kings.

The helper was Pickering's first point in 10 outings since he returned from a concussion. The 20-year-old blueliner has mostly seen third-pairing minutes since his return, offering limited chances for him to make a large impact in any aspect. He has three points, 13 shots on net, 13 hits, 18 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over his first 24 NHL contests.

Pettersson notched an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 5-1 win over the Kings.

Pettersson has earned four helpers over his last seven games. The 28-year-old typically doesn't generate a lot of offense, instead offering decent all-around production as a shutdown blueliner. For the season, he's at 17 points, 40 shots on net, 50 hits, 76 blocked shots, 25 PIM and a minus-1 rating across 43 appearances.

Letang notched an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 5-1 win over the Kings.

Letang picked up his first point over two outings since he missed a game due to an illness. He has just two helpers over eight appearances in January. The 37-year-old blueliner has struggled on offense this season with 18 points, 93 shots on net and a minus-14 rating through 42 contests, and he's added 75 hits and 49 blocked shots.