'Good to be back': Oleksiak excited for reunion with Stars

Jamie Oleksiak skated with the Pittsburgh Penguins Monday morning as they prepared to play the New Jersey Devils later that night, went home to get something to eat, and then got the phone call that let him know he had been traded back to the Dallas Stars.
"I was pretty speechless," Oleksiak said.
There had been speculation that Pittsburgh could be making a move. The Penguins were carrying eight defensemen, and Justin Schultz was about to return from a leg injury, pushing the number to nine.
That the Penguins had made a trade was not a shocker. That Oleksiak was heading to Dallas, the team he had played with for six seasons, was a different matter.

"I wasn't going to be surprised because we had some guys coming back in Pittsburgh, and when I heard it was Dallas it threw me off guard," Oleksiak said. "A million emotions run through my head. I am glad to be here now. It's always a little bit easier when you know guys in the room. Obviously, a new coaching staff but I think it's been a pretty good transition so far."
The Stars, who originally drafted Oleksiak in the first round (14th overall) of the 2011 draft, sent a fourth-round pick in 2019 to Pittsburgh in exchange for Oleksiak. It was the same fourth-round pick the Penguins had sent to Dallas in acquiring him last December.
The 26-year-old Oleksiak, who will wear No. 2 in his second stint with Dallas, played 140 games over six seasons with the Stars but was never able to crack the lineup on a regular basis. Then came the trade to Pittsburgh, where he played in all 47 remaining regular-season games and all 12 in the playoffs after the trade last season.

With Pittsburgh's depth on defense this season, he played 36 of 48 games, sitting out nine as a scratch and three with a concussion. He played a total of 83 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, tallying 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) and a plus-18 rating.
"Got a lot more experience under my belt, a little more comfortable in certain situations, and a little more confidence in my game and whatnot," Oleksiak said. "I am just going to keep trying to build off that. I've kind of learned to not worry about the little things and look at the bigger picture. No matter what happens on the ice -- good or bad -- I stick to my game and help the team get wins."
He said after the ups and downs in Dallas, a fresh start in Pittsburgh, which had won two straight Stanley Cups, was just what he needed.
"Naturally, a change of scenery, right?" he said. "You hear so much about the guys in that room, the culture they have there. I felt very fortunate to play with those guys. It was a great locker room, and I picked up a lot there."
And now he brings that back to Dallas, where his NHL career started.
"I am glad to be in Dallas with another great group of guys," Oleksiak said. "It's a team where I think all the pieces are here and it's a matter of pulling together during the stretch run and taking it into the playoffs."
Stars coach Jim Montgomery said Oleksiak's familiarity with the organization is a plus along with what the 6-foot-7, 255-pound defenseman can bring to the ice.

"What's good about him is he has been here before, comfort level, players are excited to have him back because he is good in the locker room, a good person," Montgomery said. "He gives us three lefties, three righties to have an option every night on the backend. His size, his length, his ability to kill plays, a lot of exciting things. He just makes us better."
Oleksiak skated on the third defense pair with Taylor Fedun in Tuesday's practice in Frisco, and that's where he is expected to play Wednesday when the Stars host the Buffalo Sabres.
"Just to give us three lefties and three righties, he is probably going to slot in with Taylor Fedun for tomorrow," Montgomery said. "That will also allow him to play not huge minutes but minutes where he gets to learn how we play."
And Montgomery said that he expects Oleksiak to be a regular player for now along with John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, and Roman Polak. The battle will be for the sixth spot on the blue line between Fedun, Julius Honka, and Connor Carrick. Currently, the edge for the sixth spot goes to Fedun.
"Play the six that are the best," Montgomery said. "Right now, Oleksiak is going to be in every night. We know Esa, Miro, and Klinger aren't going anywhere. And Roman isn't going anywhere. It's a battle for that sixth spot, and right now we think Taylor Fedun has been the most consistent player and we know what we are getting out of him, so he is going to get that opportunity to start with it."
As for Oleksiak, he's just excited to be back and ready to get going after a surprising twist Monday that brought him back to Dallas.
"Kind of a crazy day yesterday and through a whirlwind," Oleksiak said. "But it's good to be back in Dallas and see some familiar faces, see everyone again and catch up. I am going to try to hit the ground running here."

Notes: Bishop to start vs. Sabres

Tuesday practice lineup

Here's how the Stars lined up in practice Tuesday. Montgomery said he expects to use Tuesday's forward practice lines in Wednesday's game.
Mattias Janmark - Tyler Seguin - Alexander Radulov
Jamie Benn - Radek Faksa - Blake Comeau
Andrew Cogliano - Jason Dickinson - Jason Spezza
Valeri Nichushkin - Roope Hintz - Brett Ritchie
Esa Lindell - John Klingberg
Miro Heiskanen - Roman Polak
Jamie Oleksiak - Taylor Fedun
Julius Honka - Connor Carrick
Ben Bishop
Anton Khudobin
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.