Despite losing to the Minnesota Wild in regulation on Thursday night (Oct. 24), there are plenty of reasons for Tampa Bay Lightning fans to remain optimistic in the early stages of the 2024-25 season. For starters, the team is massively improved at five-on-five, a weak point of last season’s team that relied heavily on the power play to score goals.
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While many new players are still adjusting to a new environment, some returning players have made strides in their development over the offseason from last year’s Lightning squad. One of those players is Michigan-born winger Mitchell Chaffee, who’s looked much better this season.
Chaffee Returns With Solid Start to Sophomore Season
Arguably the most-improved player on the roster relative to last season, the undrafted product out of the depths of the Wild organization cracked Tampa Bay’s roster halfway through the 2023-24 season. In his first NHL season, Chaffee recorded four goals and three assists for seven points in 30 games. The winger was a decent two-way presence and went hard on the forecheck, but there was still work to be an effective NHL player. So far this season, Chaffee has looked excellent for the Lightning in a third-line role.
In the first seven games of the season, Chaffee has a goal and two assists for three points, which puts him on pace for 35 points. Furthermore, he even got minutes on the second-line right wing alongside Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, but the Lightning have elected to put players like Nick Paul and Conor Geekie in that spot. The difference in Chaffee’s game compared to last season is his improved speed and puck-handling abilities. The 26-year-old is carrying the puck confidence in transition, and the microstats back this claim up.
Microstats Point to Chaffee as an Effective Puck Carrier For Tampa Bay
For some quick background, I plan to hand-track microstats for the Lightning throughout the 2024-25 season. This dataset will include data points such as passes, zone entries, and additional stats the NHL doesn’t cover. I will continue to share my findings throughout the season, so stay tuned for updates.
One of the main game aspects I want to emphasize this season while covering the Lightning is zone entries and exits, otherwise known as “transition” in broad terms. Teams that can quickly and efficiently transition up and down the ice are much more effective in the modern NHL, where we see loads of goals being scored off the rush with passing plays. So, where does Chaffee fit into all of this?
I’ve covered two full games at five on five for the Lightning this season (Oct. 11 and Oct. 15), and Chaffee has been impressive in transition. In 21 minutes of tracked five-on-five ice time, Chaffee had four zone entry carry-ins, which ranks tied for fifth amongst Lightning forwards. In other words, Chaffee is the most dominant bottom-six player the Lightning have in terms of zone entries. Moreover, he controlled 40% of his zone entries, compared to last season where he controlled just 30%.
However, Chaffee has been even better at exiting the zone for Tampa Bay. He’s arguably been the Lightning’s best forward on the breakout this season. Chaffee ranks second only behind transition wizard Brayden Point in controlled zone exits, with five in the first two tracked games. In addition, he’s tied for first amongst Lightning forwards in zone exit assists with three, which is the primary pass on a Lightning breakout that successfully gets them out of the defensive zone.
Moving Forward for Chaffee
Ultimately, Chaffee will continue to exceed expectations as an undrafted player in the National Hockey League. The Lightning signed him to a cost-effective two-year deal worth $800,000 annually back in May, and the contract looks like a steal with this transition data. Chaffee is a potential third-line staple for the Lightning shortly, and his contributions so far this season have been solid. The Lightning are back in action Saturday night (Oct. 26) against the Washington Capitals at Amalie Arena, who are off to a red-hot start to the season.
