Lightning re-sign Cernak, Rutta

The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed a pair of defensemen Tuesday, awarding Erik Cernak and Jan Rutta new contracts, the team announced.

Cernak's new pact is for three years with an average annual value of $2.95 million, while Rutta's is for two years with an AAV of $1.3 million.

Cernak was a restricted free agent, and with him now signed, the only player left in need of a contract is forward Anthony Cirelli. The 23-year-old Cernak isn't known as an offensive contributor but played key minutes on Tampa's back end during its Stanley Cup run this past summer.

Rutta signed a one-year, $1.3-million contract with the Lightning prior to last season and was unrestricted on the open market.

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