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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The Dallas Stars have signed franchise goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension, it was announced Thursday.
The deal carries an $8.25 million cap hit through the 2032-33 season. Oettinger also receives $23 million in signing bonuses.
Oettinger, who enters his fifth NHL season with a 116-48-23 record in 196 career games, is in the last year of a deal that has an average annual value of $4 million and was due to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Just 25, Oettinger ranks third in goals-against average (2.49), sixth in save percentage (.914) and sixth in wins (116) over that span for goalies with at least 150 games played.
He has helped the Stars make the playoffs in three straight seasons and backstopped them to the Western Conference final the past two seasons. His numbers in the playoffs are strikingly consistent: .915 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average in 82 postseason games.
“Real obvious he’s a core piece here and has been for a while,” Stars 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.
“Every year he’s growing and adding and getting better. I like that he’s been at his best at the toughest time of year in the playoffs.”
Oettinger is 3-0-0 so far this season for Dallas.
“Usually goalies are really not starting to knock on the door till they’re 26,27, 28,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said Thursday. “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.”
Oettinger is the fourth NHL goalie to sign a significant contract extension in the last month. It started when the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman ended their stalemate with an eight-year, $66 million deal — a template contract for Oettinger.
Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark signed a four-year, $33 million deal that carries the same cap hit as Oettinger and Swayman ($8.25 million). Seattle‘s Joey Daccord also signed a contract extension worth $25 million over five years.
“That kind of brought it all together,” Nill said of the deals for Swayman and Ullmark. “It was no secret there was guys out there that had to get signed. So, we just said, ‘Let’s see where the market’s at, and once that market’s settled, then let’s talk.’ And that’s pretty well what we did.”
Still waiting for his next contract is New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who could become the league’s highest-paid netminder.