Lightning Forward Is Big-Time Breakout Candidate

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee was a pleasant surprise during the 2023-24 season for the Atlantic Division club. Before joining the Lightning, Chaffee had just two games of NHL experience on his resume, which were played during the 2021-22 season with the Minnesota Wild. Thus, the expectation was that he was simply brought in for depth. However, this ended up being far from the case.

Due to his strong play at the AHL level last season with the Syracuse Crunch, Chaffee ended up securing a spot on the Lightning's NHL roster and stuck with the club for the final stretch of the season. In 30 games with the Lightning on the year, he had four goals, seven points, 88 hits, and a plus-2 rating. Overall, he proved to be an impactful energy player for the Bolts, and he earned a two-year, $1.6 million deal this summer because of it.

Now, heading into the 2024-25 season, Chaffee will look to build off his successful year. When noting that Chaffee is still 26 years old and just getting his NHL career started, it is certainly possible that he could take his game to a new level as he continues to adjust to the sport's most competitive league.

When looking at the Lightning's current lineup, Chaffee has a clear spot in their bottom six because of his immensely physical style of play. In addition, the potential for him to get reps on their penalty kill is there as he continues to improve his two-way game.

Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see what kind of season Chaffee puts together for the Lightning next season. If he improves his offense while maintaining his tenacious style of play, he could be a very impactful player for the Bolts.

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