An In-Depth Look at the Lightning’s Top Defensive Pairing – The Hockey Writers Tampa Bay Lightning Latest News, Analysis & More

When general manager Julien BriseBois decided to trade Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club over the offseason, Tampa Bay Lightning fans knew the blue line was in for a massive change.

In return for the star defenseman, Tamp Bay acquired 24-year-old J.J. Moser, an overaged 2021 draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes with plenty of NHL experience against elite competition.

Despite being left-handed, Moser plays on the right side. Due to Moser’s historical ability to defend the rush, the vision was to pair him with aging Lightning captain Victor Hedman. This pairing allows the 34-year-old to take more risks offensively.

From the Lightning’s perspective, it’s fair to say things have worked out. Hedman and Moser have been a stellar top pair for the team that sits with a 18-11-2 record on the season.

Related: Lightning’s Victor Hedman Having One of His Best Seasons Yet

Through my hand-tracked microstats workbook for the Lightning, let’s paint another layer of analysis the public sphere of hockey stats can’t cover. What makes the Hedman and Moser pairing effective outside the points, plus/minus, and shots differential?

Microstats Tracking Project Background

I have hand-tracked microstats for the Lightning throughout the 2024-25 season. This dataset will include data points such as passes, zone entries, and additional stats the NHL doesn’t cover.

I’ve covered eight full five-on-five games for the Lightning this season (Oct. 11, Oct. 15, Oct. 19, Oct. 22, Oct. 30, Nov. 5, Nov. 14, Nov. 19). I will continue to share my findings throughout the season, so stay tuned for updates.

Hedman Joins the Offense, Moser Holds the Fort Down

The most dynamic aspect of this top pairing is the balance between offense and defense. As noted by Corey Sznajder, who tracks microstats at All Three Zones, the Lightning’s top players surrender three low-danger scoring chances in exchange for one grade-A opportunity.

Therefore, when Hedman joins the play off the rush or pinches down low in the cycle game, he leaves his partner to defend alone. When supporting his forwards last season, Hedman’s defense partner struggled to defend odd-man rushes.

His most common partner, Darren Raddysh, defended just 9.2 entries per 60. That rate ranked third-worst amongst 10 Lightning defenders tracked in the 2023-24 workbook. On the other hand, Moser is one of the NHL’s best at defending opponents off the rush.

Moser ranks second on the Lightning this season in zone entry denial percentage behind Ryan McDonagh and ranks first in zone entry denial percentage of carry-in attempts (excludes dump-ins against unlike the first stat listed.) In other words, nearly 36% of the time, Moser forces a turnover or breaks up a play when he is challenged on a carry-in by an opposing forward. The team average rolls around 26.5%.

Now that we’ve fleshed out how the pairing operates on their selective pinches and opportunities to join the offense, how do these two transition the play up the ice on the breakout?

Transitioning From Defense to Offense

The Lightning’s top pair does a nice job balancing one another out on the breakout. First, Hedman is the team’s best puck retriever when opponents bear down on him on the forecheck. His 93.75 successful retrieval percentage ranks first on the blue line by a landslide this season. On the other hand, Moser ranks above average at 86.96%.

The difference in style on the breakouts between Hedman and Moser is notable. Hedman prefers to look for precise passes or carryouts with possession, while Moser isn’t afraid to bang one off the glass and out for a quick clear. Hedman ranks second in zone exit assists and first in zone exit fails per 60, while Moser ranks first in zone exit clears per 60.

This balance is perfect because if Hedman tries to overcomplicate the zone exit, he can count on Moser to make the simple play. The same applies the other way around. If Moser struggles to clear the puck off the glass, he can turn to Hedman to find creative ways to break down an effective forecheck.

Hedman and Moser Balance Each Other Out Effectively

The Lightning signed Moser to a two-year bridge deal with a $3.75 million annual average value. From his early showings with the team thus far, he looks like he will be top-four defenseman for a long time in Tampa Bay. While Hedman is towards the end of his unbelievable NHL career, he will remain impactful with Moser by his side, no matter his age. Unfortunately, Moser will be out until February with a lower-body injury, but the Lightning have depth on the blue line to fill in in the meantime.