Stars sign goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year, $66 million extension

The Dallas Stars have signed franchise goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension, it was announced Thursday.

The deal carries a cap hit of $8.25 million for the 2032-33 season. Oettinger will also receive $23 million in signing bonuses.

Oettinger, who enters his fifth NHL season with a record of 116-48-23 in 196 career games, is in the final year of a contract with an average annual value of $4 million and was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

Only 25 years old, Oettinger ranks third in goals-against average (2.49), sixth in save percentage (.914) and sixth in wins (116) for goaltenders with at least 150 games played during that span. .

He has helped the Stars reach the playoffs in three straight seasons and led them to the Western Conference Finals as a backstopper the last two seasons. His playoff numbers are remarkably consistent: .915 saves and a 2.46 goals-against average in 82 postseason games.

“It's obvious he plays a key role here and has for some time,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. “A great deal: a great deal for him, well deserved and a great deal for the team. I think things are going to look really good for both sides going forward.”

“Every year he grows, adds and gets better. I like that he gave his best during the most difficult time of the year, the playoffs.”

Oettinger is 3-0-0 for Dallas so far this season.

“Usually goaltenders don’t start knocking on the door until they’re 26, 27, 28,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said Thursday. “A lot of times when you sign these guys on eight-year contracts, they're 29, 30, 31. And when they're 39, you're in trouble. He's 25. He's going to be 33 and really, he might end up reaching his peak. This is a unique situation for us.

Oettinger is the fourth NHL goaltender to sign a significant contract extension in the last month. It started when the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman ended their standoff with an eight-year, $66 million deal – a model deal for Oettinger.

Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark signed a four-year, $33 million contract, which has the same cap hit as Oettinger and Swayman ($8.25 million). Seattle's Joey Daccord also signed a contract extension worth $25 million over five years.

“That kind of brought everything together,” Nill said of the deals for Swayman and Ullmark. “It was no secret that there were people out there who needed to be signed. So we just said, 'Let's see where the market is and once the market calms down then let's talk.' And that’s exactly what we did.”

New York Rangers goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin is still waiting for his next contract and could become the highest-paid goalkeeper in the league.