Lightning’s Mitchell Chaffee excels early in the transition game

Through the first seven games of the season, Chaffee has a goal and two assists for three points, putting him on pace for 35 points. Moreover, he even got minutes on the right wing of the second line Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, but the Lightning have opted 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 ability. The 26-year-old has brought with him confidence in the transition, and the micro-stats back up this claim.

Microstats point to Chaffee as an effective puck carrier for Tampa Bay

For some brief background, I plan to manually track the microstats for the Lightning throughout the 2024-2025 season. This dataset includes data points such as passing, zone entry, and additional statistics that the NHL does not cover. I’ll continue to share my findings throughout the season, so stay tuned for updates.

One of the key aspects of play that I want to highlight this season as I discuss the Lightning is zone entry and exit, also known broadly as “transition.” Teams that can get on and off the ice quickly and efficiently are much more effective in the modern NHL, where we see a lot of goals scored quickly with passing plays. So, where does Chaffee fit into all of this?

I played two full five-on-five games for the Lightning this season (October 11 and 15), and Chaffee was impressive in transition. In 21 minutes of five-on-five ice time, Chaffee had four carry-ins to enter the zone, which ranks fifth among Lightning forwards. In other words, Chaffee is the most dominant bottom-six player the Lightning has in terms of zone entry. Additionally, he controlled 40% of his zone entries, compared to last season where he only controlled 30%.

Chaffee has been even better at it, though leaving the zone for Tampa Bay. He may have been the Lightning’s best offensive player during the breakout this season. Chaffee is second only to transition wizard Brayden Point in exiting controlled zones, with five in the first two games tracked. Additionally, he is tied for first among Lightning forwards in zone exit assists with three, which is the key pass on a Lightning breakout that successfully takes them out of the defensive zone.

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 agreement worth $800,000 per year in May, and the contract looks like a bargain with this transition data. Chaffee is soon to be a potential third-line player for the Lightning, and his contributions so far this season have been solid. The Lightning return to action on Saturday night (October 26) against the Washington Capitals at Amalie Arena, who are set for a red-hot start to the season.