It's time to take a trip to Chatmandu as we march through our player previews for 2025-26. Jalen Chatfield remains one of the greatest "diamond in the rough" finds the Carolina Hurricanes have ever had. In three full seasons with the Canes and four in the organization, Chatfield has become one of the team's most reliable defenders.
Last season was the first year of Chatfield's three-year extension, a well-earned raise after excellent contributions to the team during his breakout. It was a big summer for Chatfield, who married his longtime girlfriend, Drew, in July. With the honeymoon over and the work getting started again, it's time to get locked in for another long ride.
Last Season: 7-11-18 in 79 games/1-0-1 in the playoffs
Offense will rarely be at the forefront of Chatfield's game. It took him until November to find the scoresheet, but he set a career-high with three assists in a game against Pittsburgh early in the month to get him going. Chatfield seemed to trade abundance for timeliness at times last season. His game-winner late against San Jose in December was a great example.
There were plenty of stretches when Chatfield failed to find the score sheet, but he made up for it in plenty of other ways. While his numbers were slightly down from 2023-24, Chatfield was relied upon a lot more. He averaged almost 19 minutes per night, over three minutes more than his previous best, and he played nearly the entire season, suiting up for a career-high 79 contests.
He was a topic of conversation after an incident in early April. The Caniacs were treated to several fights during the third period of their postseason-clinching win, including Chatfield and Washington's Connor McMichael. Controversy arose from Chatfield's takedown of McMichael, with some hoping for a suspension. No discipline came from it, and he fought again eight days later to put it to bed.
While he might not score a lot, Chatfield scored the all-important opening goal of the playoffs in Game 1 against the New Jersey Devils. His presence was sorely missed after exiting the Washington series following Game 4. A lingering injury carried into the Eastern Conference Finals, sidelining an integral part of the team's defensive identity for the final six games of the season.
Bold Prediction: Chatfield hits double digits in goals for the first time
While I've spent most of this touting his defensive prowess, my bold prediction is that his offense breaks through this season. Chatfield only scored six goals last season, though it was one goal off his career-high from two seasons ago. Not everyone finds their offensive touch at the same time. After all, it took him forever to score his first goal.
Chatfield has never needed to be the top offensive guy on his pair, and he won't need to be this season either. Still, it's always fun to see the scoring wealth spread throughout the team. He formed a good duo with Dmitry Orlov for the last two years. With his exit this offseason for San Jose, I think he may begin the season next to another Russian lefty, Alexander Nikishin.
The beauty is that Jalen Chatfield doesn't need to be a dynamic offensive defenseman to be beloved. He'll help anchor the top-ranked penalty kill in the league, which lost a valuable defenseman or two over the last several months. If the offensive game comes this season, that's an added bonus. Chatfield is a major piece of the Canes' puzzle defensively, especially with a short-handed right side.