PuckSleuth
17Cap hit
$910K
0.9% of $104M cap
Term
1 yr
Through 2026-27, then RFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$1.92M
vs. $2.83M market estimate
Contract details from our records; public announcement not yet matched
2025-26 regular season
GP
43
Goals
7
12.5% shooting
Assists
8
7 primary
Points
15
0.35 per game
TOI/GP
12:14
PP 0:42 · PK 0:04
xGF%
51.9
5v5
Game Score
+0.45
per game
Faceoff %
50.4
139 W · 137 L
Plus/minus
+4
Blocks 13 · Hits 58
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3 vs MTL · L 2-1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13:27 | 0:54 | 0:00 | 2-2 | 50 | 1 | 1 | -1 | +1.27 |
| May 1 @ MTL · W 1-0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13:36 | 0:51 | 0:00 | 1-0 | 100 | 1 | 0 | +1 | +1.04 |
| Apr 29 vs MTL · L 3-2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 13:14 | 1:21 | 0:00 | 0-8 | 100 | 2 | 0 | -1 | +0.93 |
| Apr 26 @ MTL · W 3-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11:25 | 0:24 | 0:00 | 1-5 | 67 | 1 | 1 | -1 | +0.08 |
| Apr 24 @ MTL · OTL 3-2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12:20 | 1:39 | 0:00 | 0-1 | — | 0 | 0 | -2 | +0.01 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 479 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards
70th percentile
20th percentile
47th percentile
86th percentile
41st percentile
71st percentile
72nd percentile
56th percentile
95th percentile
33rd percentile
68th percentile
90th percentile
70th percentile
76th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleSpeed-first playmaker
Trait percentiles vs. NHL centers · 2025-26
James is an elite skater who generates offense through aggressive rush chances and creative passing, leveraging his exceptional speed to create opportunities at pace. However, his struggles with puck security and defensive positioning limit his impact and time on ice at this stage of his development.
- Shooting volume
- 64
- Playmaking
- 75
- Zone entries(est.)
- 19
- Forechecking
- 69
- Physicality
- 63
- Defensive impact
- 28
- Puck management
- 11
- Speed
- 93
Where he shoots from
Slot 46% · Mid-range 36% · Perimeter 18%(85 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- 93rd percentile speed lets him drive rush chances and create offense in transition
- 75th percentile playmaking vision generates quality chances for teammates despite limited minutes
- 64th percentile shot volume shows he's willing to shoot and create scoring chances
Watch-outs
- 19th percentile rush chances suggest he's having trouble turning speed into consistent zone entry
- 11th percentile puck management indicates frequent turnovers that likely frustrate coaches and limit trust
- 28th percentile defensive impact means he's not yet helping on the back end consistently
Similar style: J.T. Miller (NYR), Vincent Trocheck (UTA)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 43 GP
Season total +19.4, or +0.45 per game.
- Scoring
- +12.4
- Shooting
- +4.2
- 5-on-5 goals
- +0.5
- Defense
- +0.3
- Physical play
- +1.8
- Puck battles
- -1.4
- Penalties
- +1.5
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 16.7 | 12:06 | 21.4 |
| Career | 1 seasons | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 16.7 | 12:06 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team.
Usage
Last game: @ NYR, Oct 1
Not on a regular line last game.
From the NHL's shift chart.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Four First-Round Exits Is Not a Plan
thunderstrucksports.com · Sep 27
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.68 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2025-26, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 23.7 mph
- 97th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 110
- Hardest shot
- 86.1 mph
- 57th pct
- Distance
- 86.9 mi
- OZ time
- 41.1%
- 36th pct
- DZ time
- 40.3%
Age curve
NHL forwards · production index
At 24, forwards typically produce 100% of their peak (age 24).
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
1 season left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | TBL | $910K | 0.9% |
RFA after 2026-27. $910K in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).