Dominic
James
C · TBL · Balanced · Around average
- PAL
- 45
- WAR
- 0.7
- Value
- 62
- PTS
- 15
2025-26№ 212 / 615
Dominic James (Tampa Bay Lightning) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Dominic James
#17CPlays: Centre · 70% of faceoffs
Tampa Bay Lightning
HEIGHT : 183 cm · WEIGHT : 86 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : July 2, 2002 · Plymouth, United States
Drafted : 2022 · CHI · round 6, pick #173
Contract : $910,000 · 2025-26 → 2026-27 · Entry-Level Contract · RFA · Signing bonus $97,500
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2025-26 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 43 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 8 |
| NHL totals | 49 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 12 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
Dominic James: our analysis
2025-26 season: 43 GP, 7 G, 8 A, 15 PTS, +4 +/-, 12:14 TOI. WAR 0.7 (212th of 615) · PAL 45, around average.
In 2025-26, Dominic James, 24, posts a PAL Rating of 45 out of 100 (around average), and his WAR of 0.7 ranks 212th among 615 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: discipline (98, among the best in the league). On the other hand, power play (7, among the weakest in the league) and creation (28, below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: penalties (+1.4).
Contract-wise, his Value score of 62 (good value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Dominic James's story
Dominic James first drew notice during two full USHL seasons with the Lincoln Stars, where he produced 14 goals and 34 assists. Born July 3, 2002, he progressed to the University of Minnesota Duluth and began his collegiate career in 2020–21, recording 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points as a freshman.
Selected 173rd overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, James was also named to the roster for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, a tournament that was subsequently cancelled. At Minnesota Duluth he earned a leadership role as an alternate captain in his junior season, which was cut short for him by a season-ending injury that required surgery.
He returned to lead the Bulldogs as captain in his senior season and closed his college tenure with 30 goals and 77 points in 111 games. Those totals reflect steady offensive production and an ability to contribute both goals and playmaking from the center position.
James turned professional with a move to Tampa Bay rather than Chicago: on September 20, 2025 he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning after failing to reach an agreement with the Blackhawks. He made his NHL debut on October 23, 2025 at Benchmark International Arena. In his eighth NHL game, on November 6, 2025 versus the Vegas Golden Knights, he scored his first NHL goal and added assists to finish the night with three points.
What emerges from his trajectory is a centre who mixes scoring and distribution. From the USHL through college and into the NHL, his game is built around facilitating offence and shouldering leadership responsibilities, traits that earned him alternate- and full-captaincies in college.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 12:05
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:32
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:00
- Pts/GP
- 0.33
- EV points
- 2
- Hits
- 11
- Blocks
- 0
- Takeaways
- 0
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 50.0 %
- Off. zone starts
- 41.2 %
- Faceoffs
- 42.4 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
21between 7 and 35 (80% range)
- Goals
- 7
- Assists
- 14
- Games
- 60
So far: 2 pts in 6 games. The team has played 0 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.35 pts per game (last season: 0.35).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 34 %
81
Very good
- SK
- Skating
- 87
- Confidence 40 %
- ST
- Strength
- 74
- Confidence 39 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 68
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 63
- Confidence 40 %
- CK
- Checking
- 80
- Confidence 39 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 78
- Confidence 21 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 92
- Confidence 39 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- 77
- Confidence 41 %
- PA
- Passing
- 76
- Confidence 34 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 76
- Confidence 34 %
- DF
- Defense
- 73
- Confidence 30 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 86
- Confidence 8 %
- EX
- Experience
- 47
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating87
- Top speed (35 %)37.1 · 88
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)8.932 · 85
- Distance /60 (20 %)16.3 · 73
- Speed consistency (15 %)36.8 · 92
ST — Strength74
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.758 · 80
- Body mass (50 %)-0.704 · 69
EN — Endurance68
- Ice time per game (45 %)13.6 · 68
- Total ice time (20 %)520 · 58
- Shift length (15 %)46.9 · 79
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)13 · 71
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.649 · 63
DU — Durability63
- Share of games played (100 %)0.721 · 63
CK — Checking80
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.474 · 79
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)5.381 · 82
- Season volume (10 %)4.078 · 75
FG — Fighting78
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.896 · 78
DI — Discipline92
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.083 · 92
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.557 · 79
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)1.048 · 88
FO — Faceoffs77
- Faceoff % (85 %)50.6 · 77
- Faceoffs /60 (15 %)34.9 · 71
PA — Passing76
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.775 · 79
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.334 · 62
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.048 · 76
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)3.862 · 65
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.656 · 82
SC — Scoring76
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.846 · 77
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.787 · 75
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.012 · 78
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.105 · 67
- xG per shot (10 %)0.082 · 72
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)13 · 79
DF — Defense73
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.005 · 73
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.019 · 74
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.476 · 82
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.025 · 75
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.215 · 57
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)56.8 · 79
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)2.311 · 70
PS — Penalty shot86
- Shootouts (60 %)34.4 · 88
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience47
- Career regular-season games (65 %)53
- Career playoff games (25 %)39
- NHL seasons (10 %)24
OV — Overall81
- SC · Scoring (20 %)76
- PA · Passing (20 %)76
- DF · Defense (20 %)73
- SK · Skating (12 %)87
- FO · Faceoffs (10 %)77
- EN · Endurance (8 %)68
- DI · Discipline (5 %)92
- ST · Strength (3 %)74
- CK · Checking (2 %)80
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.7
wins above replacement
212 of 615
PAL Rating
45/ 100
Performance · Around average
245 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
62/ 100
Good value
0.91 M$ · expected PAL 35
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 42
- Defense
- 41
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 54
- Creation
- 28
- Shooting
- 49
- Possession
- 52
- Defense
- 45
- Discipline
- 98
- Power play
- 7
- Penalty kill
- 31
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
83/ 100
Very good
better than 83% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
75/ 100
Very good
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
69/ 100
Average
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Why 83, higher than both scores? Overall IQ isn't an average, it's a rank: 70 of 424 forwards. Few players are good at both ends at once; being so puts Dominic James ahead of almost everyone else.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 87
- Shot selection
- 35
- Penalties drawn
- 93
- Puck management
- 25
Defense
- Takeaways
- 93
- Discipline
- 84
- Safe zone exits
- 7
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.7
wins above replacement
-0.0 to 1.5 — 90% interval
212 of 615 forwards
+3.5 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +0.2
- EV defense
- +0.0
- Power play
- -0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- +0.6
- Penalties
- +1.4
- Average → replacement
- +1.4
In goals.
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 134.3 km/h57th percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 35.7 km/h66th percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 1646th percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 42.1 %50th percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 19.8 km19th percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.05 km34th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 40.9 %46th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 18.8 %80th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 39.1 %57th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 620th percentile | 024th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| High danger | 221st percentile | 034th percentile | 0.0 %10th percentile |
| Mid range | 227th percentile | 054th percentile | 0.0 %32nd percentile |
| Long range | 031st percentile | 092nd percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
DET
NSH
WPG
COL
VAN
SEADominic James: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Dominic James have in 2026-27?
Dominic James has 0 goals and 2 points (2 assists) in 6 games in 2026-27.
How old is Dominic James?
Dominic James is 24 years old: he was born on July 3, 2002.
How tall is Dominic James, and how much does he weigh?
Dominic James is 6'0" (183 cm) and weighs 190 lb (86 kg).
Where is Dominic James from?
United States: Dominic James was born in Plymouth, Michigan, United States.
What team does Dominic James play for?
Dominic James plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL, at C, wearing number 17.
Is Dominic James injured?
No: Dominic James is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Dominic James?
Dominic James produced 0.7 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 212th of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 45 out of 100: around average for his position.
How much does Dominic James make?
Dominic James earns $910K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 62 out of 100 (good value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Dominic James's contract end?
Dominic James's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Dominic James overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 62 out of 100 (good value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Dominic James a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 212th of 615 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Dominic James played lately?
Over his last 6 games, Dominic James has 2 points (0 goals, 2 assists).
What are Dominic James's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Dominic James has 49 games, 7 goals, 10 assists and 17 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 15 points in 43 games.
Where was Dominic James drafted?
Dominic James was drafted 173rd overall (round 6) by Chicago Blackhawks in 2022.
How does Dominic James perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Dominic James has 7 games and 3 points in his career. His pace (0.43 points per game) is higher than his regular-season pace (0.35).
Which player is most similar to Dominic James?
Jonatan Berggren: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Jonatan Berggren's page →Is Dominic James a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 21 points in 2026-27, or 0.35 points per game.
What is Dominic James's nationality?
Dominic James is American. Internationally: United States national team: named to the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship (tournament canceled).
Where did Dominic James play before turning pro?
Two full seasons in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars, then college with the University of Minnesota Duluth (college career started in 2020–21; named captain entering his senior year)..
How many points is Dominic James projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 21 points in 60 games in 2026-27 (7 to 35 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)