The Dallas Stars have been one of the most dominant yet unlucky teams in the playoffs these past few years. While they have reached the WCF three times in a row, they have failed to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals even once.
Not to mention, they lost to the Oilers back-to-back in the past two seasons. One of the players hit hardest was goalie Jake Oettinger. Edmonton’s dominant win over the Stars raised a lot of questions about him.
But now, after a long time of thinking, Oettinger said that he has a clear goal.
Jake Oettinger Has Two Clear Goals Ahead of the Upcoming Season
While the Stars had one of the best campaigns leading to the Western Conference finals this past season, Oettinger’s journey was cut short by a dominant 4-1 series victory by the Oilers in Game 5, which saw Edmonton win 6-3.
Since then, the 26-year-old has been thinking a lot. And in a recent interview, he mentioned that he already has his two goals ready for the upcoming season. And while avenging his playoff losses is right there on the list, for now, the 2026 Winter Olympics come first.
Oettinger said that while the regular season starts on October 9, he places the chance to be one of the three goalies for Team USA as part of the roster at Milano-Cortina as his immediate concern. This will also be his first chance to play at the Olympics.
He said, “It’s not something I think about every day, but it’s motivation,” at the third annual Shoulder Check Showcase on July 24. He continued, “This would be one of the coolest stories of my career. It’s something I have circled.”
Not to mention, Oettinger will also have the chance to compete against Connor Hellebuyck, who won both the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP and the Vezina Trophy this past season as the top goalie. Back at the 4 Nations meet-up, he was Hellebuyck’s backup.
While he made 21 saves in his only start in their 2-1 loss against Sweden, Oettinger would like to be a starter this time. He already outperformed him in their playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets, where he won 4-2 with a better GAA of 2.02 compared to Hellebuyck’s 2.20.
Oettinger said, “I think for me, I get off to a great start, then that’s all I can control. That’s all I’m going to try to focus on, is playing my best early on and hopefully getting a chance.” This upcoming season will be his chance.
Their opening game will be on Thursday, October 9.
