Oettinger, who was selected by the Stars in the first round (No. 26) of the 2017 NHL Draft, has a 187-116-48 record with a 2.49 GAA, a .914 save percentage and 11 shutouts in 196 games the regular season (187 starts). ). He is also 23-22 with a 2.46 GAA, .916 save percentage and two shutouts in 47 Stanley Cup Playoff games (45 starts), helping Dallas to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and 2024.

“Critical,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said when asked about Oettinger’s importance. “I think we all know how important a solid goalkeeper is and he has instilled that throughout my time here. Just a sense of calm, and the other thing you get from him is guidance. He’s not that goalkeeper that just does his best. “He does his own thing in the goalkeeping department and then he’s a big part of our group. He has made progress every year and has gotten better and better in the most difficult time of the year in the playoffs.”

As of the 2020–21 NHL season, Oettinger ranks in the top 10 in wins (116, sixth) and GAA (2.49, seventh) among active goaltenders who have played at least 50 regular-season games. He’s also tied for 11th in save percentage (.914) and 13th in shutouts (11), and his 23 playoff wins since 2022 are tied for second-most wins of all with Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers Goalkeeper.

“He’s a big part of our team,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “He’s part of our foundation, one of our younger guys. He’s 25 years old and knowing he’s going to be there for the next eight years kind of solidifies that position.”

“He loves it in Dallas. He was drafted by Dallas and developed by us. He plays a big role in the locker room, a big role in the community, so both parties wanted to get a deal done. When I spoke to (Oettinger’s agent) Ben (Hankinson), I said: “Ben, I don’t want this to drag on for six weeks.” I’m always worried about the player. You want the player to just play hockey and Ben agreed and it came together pretty quickly.”

NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report.