Stars bring back 'more mature, well-rounded player' in Oleksiak

With defenseman Marc Methot out for the season following knee surgery and the status of defenseman Stephen Johns up in the air due to post-traumatic headaches, Stars GM Jim Nill turned to the trade market Monday for some help on the blue line, and he found a familiar face.
Nill
acquired defenseman Jamie Oleksiak from the Pittsburgh Penguins
for a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
"[Methot and Johns] are big parts of our team and we haven't had them all season," Nill said. "We've been looking around, and Jamie's name came up. We need a heavy body back there, somebody that can play 15 minutes. Some nights we've got to overplay some guys because of situations. He can eat up minutes now, and it's going to balance the ice time better."

The 6-foot-7, 255-pound Oleksiak, whom the Stars originally drafted in the first round (14th overall) in the 2011 NHL draft, played 140 games with the Stars over six seasons, recording 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists). The Stars traded him to the Penguins for a fourth-round pick in 2019 (the same one used in Monday's transaction) on Dec. 19, 2017.

The 26-year-old appeared in 83 games with the Penguins since the trade, recording 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists), including four goals and seven assists in 36 games this season.
"We've been watching him closely, and he's a more mature, well-rounded player," Nill said. "He's more calm in situations, his defensive reads, not as many highs and as many lows. There's real consistency."
Oleksiak, who is signed through 2020-21 with a cap hit of $2.1375 million, had his ups and downs during his first stint with Dallas and was never able to crack the lineup on a regular basis. The highest number of games he played in a season in Dallas was 41. Before being traded in 2017-18, he was a healthy scratch in 21 of 34 games with Dallas.
But Nill said Oleksiak has grown as a player following the 2017 trade, a fresh start and change of scenery that Oleksiak used to his advantage.
"He went to another team -- sometimes that has to happen -- and he's become a better player," Nill said. "Pittsburgh is a very good team, and that rubs off on you. But he's become a better player, and you have to give him credit."
Oleksiak played in every game with Pittsburgh the rest of the 2017-18 season and in all 12 playoff games following the trade. This season, with the Penguins deep on defense, he's played in 36 of 48 games, missing three with injury and sitting out the other nine as a scratch. Pittsburgh had been carrying eight defensemen and was about to have nine with Justin Schultz about to return from a leg injury.
That glut of defensemen had Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford looking to move one, and with the Stars needing help on the blue line, the two sides came together. Nill said the uncertainty of what might happen at the trade deadline played a factor in the timing as well. There are too many teams still in the playoff hunt and teams are still trying to lock up players who could be late season rentals.
"I don't know where the trade market is going to go," Nill said. "All of a sudden one or two guys sign with their teams or one or two guys get traded, and I don't know what else is going to be out there. This was a chance for us to get ahead of the curve a little. Pittsburgh was in a situation where they had nine defensemen. Something was going to happen for them and it just kind of worked in our favor."

One advantage of Monday's trade is there shouldn't be much of an adjustment for Oleksiak, Nill said. He's coming into familiar territory.
"Some guys it takes no time to get comfortable, some guys it takes a month, and some guys never get comfortable," Nill said. "We know Jamie, he's been here, he knows the players, the routine, he knows the city, he knows the fans. There's a comfort level for him coming in. We know he's been here and done it here, so that part of the trade you are not worried about."
Monday's trade gives the Stars eight defensemen on the roster for now: John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, Roman Polak, Taylor Fedun, Julius Honka, Connor Carrick, and Oleksiak.
"We'll have eight, yes," Nill said. "We'll see how this all sorts itself out."

Methot out for rest of season

The Stars announced Monday that Methot had successful surgery to repair a cartilage defect in his left knee. He is out for the rest of the season and has been placed on long-term injured reserve.
There were no new updates on Johns and center Martin Hanzal (back).
Forward Tyler Pitlick did not practice with the team Sunday and Monday due to an upper-body injury. He is out for Wednesday's game against Buffalo.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mark Stepneski has covered the Stars for DallasStars.com since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @StarsInsideEdge.