Oettinger's poise, presence can reverse Stars' fortunes

FRISCO, Texas --The Dallas Stars haven't had much luck with homegrown goaltenders since they moved from Minnesota in 1993. Prospect Jake Oettinger, the 26th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, hopes he can change that.

In 25 seasons, the Stars have selected one goaltender who eventually became their starter; in 1994, they took Marty Turco in the fifth round (No. 124). Dallas also drafted Calgary Flames goalie Mike Smith in 2001, but traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning in his second season in the League.
The Stars would like to see Oettinger, 18, follow Turco's path. They were encouraged when they saw him flash his potential during development camp, which ended July 11.
"He's a big body, he has a presence in the net," Stars goaltending coach Jeff Reese said of Oettinger (6-foot-4, 212 pounds). "Very in control of his game. Understands the game, has a very high hockey IQ and it's an exciting time for Dallas and the Dallas Stars and for all of us and all the fans."
The Stars look to have set up an ideal line of succession at the goalie position; Dallas acquired Ben Bishop in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on May 9 and signed him to a six-year, $29.5 million contract (average annual value $4.92 million) three days later. When Bishop's contract expires after the 2022-23 season, Oettinger will be 24.
Oettinger doesn't want to look too far into the future, but he's willing to put in the hours to make good on that potential timeline.
"It's just going to come down to how hard I work and how well I play," Oettinger said. "If I continue on the path that I'm on, I think one day that that could be a possibility. But it will be based on how hard I work."

Oettinger said that work starts this summer. He's focusing on his skating and stickhandling, is playing in Da Beauty League, which includes several NHL players in Minnesota, and then will prepare for his sophomore year at Boston University.
Oettinger is coming off a stellar freshman season. He won the starting job as a 17-year-old (his birthday is Dec. 18) and was 21-11-3 with a 2.11 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.
"It was kind of always my plan to come in there and win the starting job and then be the guy," Oettinger said. "I wouldn't say I was surprised, but it was well earned and appreciated being able to play that many games."
Oettinger's success can be attributed to his size, positioning and state of mind. He rarely strays out of position, his shoulders are always square to the shooter, and he likes to compare his game to San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones. During the chaotic shooting drills at development camp, he remained composed and effective.
"It's very, very rare [in a teenager], and that's a great word for it, is composure," Reese said. "As far as the composure and the presence in the net, it's a calming influence on a hockey club, and he has that."