Jake Oettinger needed a new contract, and while the Dallas Stars could have waited until next summer to sort things out, they didn’t want to do that.
They were ready to take a little time to secure their top goaltender, and that choice worked out well. Oettinger signed an eight-year extension worth $66 million on Thursday, matching the contract that fellow American Jeremy Swayman signed with the Boston Bruins earlier this month.
Oettinger will have a salary cap hit of $8.25 million from next NHL season through 2032-33, which is the same amount that 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark will be paid annually by Ottawa for the next four years.
“That kind of brought it all together,” general manager Jim Nill said during the first intermission of his team’s game against the Washington Capitals. “It was no secret there were guys out there that had to get signed. So, we just said, ‘Let’s see where the market’s at,’ and once that market settled, then let’s talk. And that’s pretty well what we did.”
Swayman sat out training camp as a restricted free agent, and his contract starts immediately and runs until 2032. Oettinger is making $4 million this season and would have become a restricted free agent on July 1.
“I’m happy that mine didn’t go down the way that Sway’s did,” Oettinger said. “It’s everything you could ever want as a player: the organization making you a priority, and wanting to get something done early is incredible. Now I can just focus on my play and not have that in the back of my mind.”
After avoiding the drama that Swayman faced, Oettinger can concentrate not only on the Stars but also on making his case to start in goal for the U.S. at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. His new contract comes as Oettinger is off to a 3-0-0 start with a 1.63 goals against average and a .948 save percentage.
“Real obvious he’s a core piece here and has been for a while,” coach Peter DeBoer said. “A great deal: a great deal for him, well-earned, and a great deal for the team. I think it’s going to look really good for both parties going forward.”
Oettinger, who will turn 26 in December, helped Dallas reach the Western Conference final last season. The Stars have made the playoffs in each of his three years as their starter.
Since his debut in 2021, the Lakeville, Minnesota, native ranks sixth with 116 wins, seventh with a 2.29 goals against average, 11th with a .914 save percentage, and is tied for 13th with 11 shutouts among goalies who have played at least 50 games.
“Every year he’s growing and adding and getting better,” DeBoer said. “I like that he’s been at his best at the toughest time of year in the playoffs.”
Nill pointed out Oettinger’s age as a major reason the organization felt good about making this long-term commitment.
“Usually goalies are really not starting to knock on the door till they’re 26, 27, 28,” Nill said. “A lot of times you sign these guys to eight-year deals, they’re 29, 30, 31 and by the time they’re 39 you’re in trouble.
He’s 25. He’s going to be 33 and really just might be hitting his peak at the end of this. That’s where it’s a unique situation for us.”
The market is building toward whatever Igor Shesterkin will get with his next contract, whether it’s with the New York Rangers or another team. The 2022 Vezina winner could be an unrestricted free agent this summer and is expected to earn more than the $10.5 million a year that Carey Price signed for in 2017, even though Shesterkin is about to turn 29.
