Chucky is back: Dastos hopes to make a difference after reuniting with Chargers
When the Tampa Bay Lightning first recalled defenseman Charles Edward Dastos from the American Hockey League in late October, the 6-foot-2 veteran pro hockey player had a resume that included just about everything short of an NHL game.
Dastos said at the time that he wanted a chance to prove himself as an NHL player. Exactly three months later, the 27-year-old defender has done just that and more.
After helping Tampa Bay through multiple injuries on the back end, bolstering the offense and adding physicality when needed, the Chargers announced a one-year extension on Friday that will keep Dastos in Tampa through the 2026-27 season at an average annual salary of $875,000.
The defender appeared in 33 games in his first NHL season, scoring three goals and 13 points.
“To be honest, it's going pretty fast,” Dastos said of the negotiations. “I want to stay here and I think the team wants me to stay here. I'm excited and grateful to be able to continue my journey in Tampa.”
Since Dastos made his NHL debut on October 25, the Lightning have gone 23-9-1 and are fourth in the standings. He ranks third among Chargers defensemen in goals (three), assists (10) and points (13 points), while his 39 penalty minutes rank second on the Tampa Bay blueline.
His two winning goals tied him with Darren Radish for the most goals among Bolt defenders.
He has helped the Chargers through injuries to several key players this season, including captain Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonald, Eric Cernak and Emil Lilleberg. As a result, Dastos has played a variety of positions in the lineup and appeared on both the power play and the penalty shootout.
“Coming in and having the opportunity to play so many games, I was fortunate that the coaches had confidence in me and they put me in all those situations and played a lot of minutes. Obviously, it hurts when you see guys miss games. I mean, in a way, it's good for me because I get a chance to prove myself and help the team, but on the other hand, it's difficult because these guys are a big part of the core of our defense,” Dastos said. “But I'm glad the coaches trusted me and gave me a chance to prove myself and contribute more to the team's success.”
Dastos' NHL journey is different than most.
He signed with the Chargers for the first time in the offseason after performing well overseas. The veteran defender was named the 2025 Swedish Hockey League (SHL) Defensive Player of the Year after scoring 12 goals and 39 points to help his Brynäs IF team win the regular season championship.
He spent his first two seasons in the Finnish Elite League, where he was named the league's best defensive player and won the Juha Rantasila Trophy as the league's top scorer on the blue line.
After playing in Europe, the ECHL and the AHL, Dastos finally signed a one-way deal in the NHL and it feels better than he could have imagined.
“If I look back on my journey, my career so far, if you had told me when I was 21, 22 years old, or when I was in Europe, that today I would be signing a one-way deal for next year, I would have found it hard to believe it,” Dastos said. “This has been an incredible journey for me and I couldn't be happier with my new contract with Tampa.”
He won't let that feeling go away and said he plans to keep working to get better. Despite eventually making it to the NHL, there was no ultimate satisfaction for the veteran defenseman.
“I want to make a difference every day. Every time I go into the starting lineup, I want to help the team win. I think I'm getting better. I think I can bring more to the table,” he said. “I just want to get better every day. Now that I've proven I can be here, I want to show I can make a difference.”
