The first signing of the offseason goes to Lightning Forward Mitchell Chaffee.

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Thursday that they have re-signed forward Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year, one-way contract worth $800,000 AAV.

Chaffee seemed to be a natural fit almost immediately, making an appearance in 30 regular season games with the Lightning. He started to make a name for himself early on due to his physicality and forechecking ability.

"Obviously, the goal is to stay here as long as you can, so I've just been taking it day by day, trying to take advantage of all the opportunities I've gotten here,” Chaffee said in a one-on-one back in March.

“I think you're just always trying to continue to improve on your own game, get a lot of feedback from the coaches, and then just continue to do what they need here to win games." 

After arriving in Tampa mid-season, Chaffee credited Luke Glendenning for helping mentor him during his transition to the NHL level. 

"Just knowing him before has been a big help in this whole transition. Darren Raddysh has gone through it, so I've been talking to him quite a bit as well," said Chaffee.

“Sometimes you’ve got to step back and kind of just enjoy where you are, compared to where you were last year. So it's a big difference, and obviously it’s exciting.” 

Now Chaffee has made it official, inking a new two year, one way deal.

He made an impact for the Lightning in all five games during round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Florida Panthers, dishing out 23 hits, which tied him for the most among Lightning forwards. 

Chaffee made his NHL debut on April 19, 2022 as a member of the Minnesota Wild, and played in 123 career AHL games between the Iowa Wild and Syracuse Crunch. He ranked third on the Crunch for scoring with 12 goals and 26 points in 36 games prior to being recalled by the Lightning.