Jake Oettinger signs contract extension identical to Jeremy Swayman: he will earn more

The terrific start to the 2024-25 season by Jake Oettinger has been rewarded by the Dallas Stars, who have locked him up long-term, signing him to an eight-year contract extension carrying an $8.25 million cap hit annually. While the deal won't kick in until the 2025-26 season, the contract slams Oettinger down as one of the league's premier-paid goaltenders, falling behind only Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Connor Hellebuyck in terms of salary. He is tied for the identical salary as Jeremy Swayman, but will actually retain more of that money after tax, as Texas has one of the best state tax laws in the country.

Oettinger has steadily been building himself into a legend for the Stars since becoming their full-time goaltender five years ago. The former 2017 first-round pick is still just 25 years old. He has guided the Stars to two Western Conference Finals and earned an All-Star selection in the process. The 139 career wins, regular season, and playoffs have him ranked eighth in franchise history, and he has a real shot to crack the top four by season's end, as he would need just 24 more wins.

On-ice statistics scream consistency and ability for Oettinger. Throughout his career, he has a .914 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average in 196 regular-season appearances. Dallas is a team gunning for a Stanley Cup run and needs heavy performances from Oettinger between the pipes to get them past their recent playoff heartbreaks. The Stars have been consecutively knocked out in the Western Conference Finals and are hungry to get back to the Stanley Cup Final, a stage they haven't seen since 1999.

And with much of their core signed long-term, the timing of Oettinger's new contract is particularly promising for the Stars, who join a very distinguished group of still-unbeaten teams to this point of the season. In their 4-0-0 start, they've reaffirmed their place as one of the top contenders across the NHL. While Oettinger's play can be inconsistent at times, he will undoubtedly be a major factor moving forward as the team fights for a playoff berth and beyond. The expensive new signing is indicative of the organization believing he has what it takes to get them there.

This extension by Dallas shows that the team is committed to building around this young goalie in continuing to pursue the Stanley Cup. The solid record he has plus his potential for continuous improvement makes him the centerpiece in championship glory. With his future now secure, all eyes will fall on Jake Oettinger as he looks to take this team to the next level over the coming years.