Oettinger set for responsibility of being Stars' No. 1 goalie

Jake Oettinger is ready for the job he's worked for his entire hockey career.

The goalie signed a three-year, $12 million contract ($4 million average annual value) with the Dallas Stars on Sept. 1, and he is their No. 1 entering the season. It's quite the jump for the 23-year-old, who began last season fourth on the Stars' goalie depth chart and playing in the American Hockey League but finished it as the NHL starter.
"It's a new situation for me," Oettinger said earlier this month during the NHL North American Player Media Tour in Henderson, Nevada. "I've never come into an NHL season expecting to be the No. 1 guy and it's going to be really exciting for me to take on more responsibility."
When
Ben Bishop
and
Braden Holtby
sustained injuries and Anton Khudobin struggled last season, Oettinger got his chance and made an impact, going 30-15-1 with a 2.53 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and one shutout in 48 regular-season games (46 starts).
He nearly got the Stars to the Western Conference Second Round during the Stanley Cup Playoffs when he made 64 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames in Game 7 of the first round. He was 3-4 with a 1.81 GAA, .954 save percentage and one shutout in seven postseason starts.

Expectations are high this season, and the Stars say Oettinger is ready.
"I think we saw it last year. I mean, he was the guy," Dallas captain Jamie Benn said. "He's pretty calm back there. He likes the pressure, goes about his business. He's a true professional, he has got a great relationship with Jeff Reese, our goalie coach, and he's determined to win. I think the sky's the limit."
Many of Oettinger's best attributes, including his athleticism, have been apparent for some time. Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman saw them when he was Oettinger's teammate with the United States at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"We were both so young, but he was so technically sound," said Swayman, who played against Oettinger when he was at the University of Maine and Oettinger at Boston University.
"I always found him such a good skater, he's crazy athletic and I think he's going to be one of the best goalies in the League for a really long time. To know him personally and to have played against him is fun. I haven't gotten to play against him in the [NHL] yet. Hopefully I can get a win against him this year."
A calm demeanor also is an Oettinger trait. Reese said that was evident during the regular season, but stood out during the playoffs.
"I haven't seen too many goalies, especially at that age, that enjoyed every second, and I mean he enjoyed the competition, every second, in the playoffs," Reese said. "He had a smile on his face and he loved it. He absolutely loved it.
"He doesn't get too high, doesn't get too low. He has a great demeanor for a No. 1 goaltender. Also physically he can play a lot of games as well. He showed that last year."

To handle the load physically, Oettinger worked for the second straight offseason with mobility coach Grace Witthuhn. She said most of their focus is on Oettinger's hip mobility, "bullet-proofing the groin area, because that's a common problem area for goalies, hip abduction, internal rotation."
"In my world that's how we access deepest tissue, allows to open more space, and we're also focused on spine rotation," Witthuhn said. "So hips can face one way, but he can reach and twist the other way hopefully without injury. It's a lot of consistency, a lot of hours.
"I've said since the day he started with me that I wish others, especially young athletes, understood the importance of having a body that's good not just for your sport. He has a real good understanding. The work he puts in will pay off so much longer, way beyond when his time with the NHL is done. I'm very impressed; he's so young and has this really good outlook."
Oettinger also has focused on improving his puck-handling, and it's an aspect Reese said he and Oettinger work on every day.
He also will have to mentally deal with any adversity that comes his way. On that, former NHL goalie
Marty Turco
had advice for Oettinger.
"Just trust yourself, you know? That's the big one. Stay with the process, or whatever the jargon is of the day," said Turco, the leader among Stars/Minnesota North Stars goalies in games played (509), wins (262) and shutouts (40).
"It's hard to have a job to turn your brain off when your brain is the most dominating feature we have. It's literally who we are. You have to turn it off to do your job but then turn it on and say, 'OK, how do I fix this?' then turn it off again. If he trusts himself and grows and allows the room for growth, which is also sometimes taking a step back, he'll be in a great spot."
Oettinger approached starts last season with an excitement to match his competitiveness. It's a combination he'll look to bring this season as well.
"Obviously I went through a lot last year," he said. "It's a really tough position and you always have to be doing things to make sure you're on top of your game, otherwise there's going to be another kid like me looking to take my job now. I just couldn't be more excited to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL this year. It's my job to help this team get back into the playoffs."
NHL.com staff writer Amalie Benjamin and independent correspondent Taylor Baird contributed to this story