Grading Jake Oettinger's massive $66 million contract extension with Stars
Goaltenders around the NHL have received massive paydays as of late. The Boston Bruins signed Jeremy Swayman to an eight-year contract before the season began. Additionally, the Ottawa Senators signed Linus Ullmark to a four-year contract to keep him around for the foreseeable future. Now, it's Jake Oettinger signing a new contract with the Dallas Stars .
Oettinger would have hit restricted free agency after this season without a new deal. However, this new contract now keeps the 25-year-old around through the 2032-33 season . The Stars goalie will be 34 years old when he's eligible to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Oettinger performs over the life of this contract. In the immediate aftermath, let's take a look at how this deal works for both sides on paper. Here are our contract grades for Jake Oettinger's eight-year contract with the Dallas Stars.
Jake Oettinger signs with Stars
Jake Oettinger has certainly made an impact at the NHL level already. The Lakeville, Minnesota native debuted in the COVID-19 bubble playoffs back in 2020. He began earning more playing time in 2020-21. And since then, he has built a solid track record which has made him one of the brightest young stars among goaltenders in the game.
In each of his first four seasons, Oettinger has posted a save percentage north of .900. In fact, his career-low save percentage in any given year was the .905 mark he recorded last season. Since 2019-20, he ranks ninth among goalies in terms of Goals Above Replacement and Wins Above Replacement, according to Evolving Hockey.
Oettinger has certainly performed well early in his career. And he has secured a nice payday to reflect this. Additionally, he has a measure of control over his next steps. He has a full no-movement clause starting in 2026-27 which lasts until 2030-31, according to PuckPedia. In the final two years, the no-movement clause becomes a 10-team no-trade clause.
Overall, this is a fantastic contract for the Stars goaltender. He is now among the highest-paid goalies in the league. And if Dallas sees its Stanley Cup window slam shut, Oettinger has options in terms of a potential trade away. It's hard to dislike this deal from his perspective.
Stars sign Jake Oettinger
One undeniable comparison Jake Oettinger's contract will draw is with Jeremy Swayman. Both goalies are 25 years of age. And, as mentioned, Swayman signed an eight-year contract with the Bruins before the season. In fact, he also received a total of $66 million on his extension with Boston.
Oettinger and Swayman have played to a similar level over the years, as well. Oettinger ranked ninth in the NHL since 2020-21 in GAR and WAR, as previously stated. Right above him in eighth for both of those metrics is Swayman. Furthermore, Oettinger is 10th in Goals Saved Above Average, while Swayman is eighth, according to Evolving Hockey.
There isn't a major degree of separation here between these players. Furthermore, Oettinger has been more consistent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs while taking his team further. In fact, Oettinger has brought the Stars within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final on two separate occasions. This is a feat Swayman has yet to achieve.
The point is that the Stars are not overpaying for Oettinger. One could argue that this seems to be a rather fair deal for them. They keep their goalie of the present and future around long-term. And the price paid is certainly not going to sink them, especially with a rising salary cap.
The Stars needed to get this deal done, and they did it. Dallas does not need to worry about goaltending for the foreseeable future. The Stars do need to re-sign Wyatt Johnston next summer, to be fair. However, they shouldn't have an issue doing so. Oettinger's contract is one the team can certainly stomach moving forward.
Grades and final thoughts
The Stars and Jake Oettinger receive a high contract grade. Oettinger received a major payday to reflect his current performances, as well as some say over his future with the Stars. As for Dallas, they did not overpay to keep their star netminder around. Dallas gets a better grade for this deal than Boston did for Swayman as the Stars did not air out any dirty laundry in an attempt to pressure Oettinger to play ball. Both sides kept their goal, and in the end, they signed a contract that should work out well for both sides no matter the outcome.
Jake Oettinger grade: A
