Dallas Stars 2026-27 Season Preview: Goaltending – The Hockey Writers –

Season previews are starting all across The Hockey Writers, and that could only mean one thing: NHL hockey is right around the corner. Today, we’re talking about the Dallas Stars goaltending.

While the rest of the lineup has been plagued by injuries in recent years, especially last season, Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith have been the two most available players the last two seasons. They started all 164 games, and the same will be expected of them starting in late September.

As a unit, the Stars were second in the NHL in goals-against average GAA, 2.66, and sixth in save percentage (SV%), .897%. They were tied for third in the league with 50 wins, and Oettinger himself was third amongst all netminders with 35.

Oettinger is getting paid like one of the best goalies in the league, but last season, as well as a few playoff runs, have cast doubt on whether he is the one to get the Stars over the hump. DeSmith, on the other hand, has been nothing but a steady and reliable backup whenever he is called upon.

Let’s dive in.

Will the Real Jake Oettinger Please Stand Up

One of the nice things about the goaltending situation in Dallas is that there is no competition. Oettinger is the starter, sink or swim, and there has been a lot more swimming than sinking since he became the official starter back in 2021-22. Last season, the 27-year-old went 35-12-6 with an .899 SV% and a 2.59 GAA. While .899 isn’t as bad as it once was due to scoring being up in recent years, it is still the worst SV% of his career. His inconsistent play continued in the postseason, giving up 19 goals in six games and finishing the first round with an .893 SV%.

The memo on Oettinger is out, and it’s pretty straightforward. There are stretches when he is a great goaltender, capable of being the best in the business. Every season, there are two or three weeks — or more — where the Stars win simply because Oettinger is in the crease. However, there are also stretches, including the playoffs, where he consistently lets in a bad goal at the wrong time. That right time may be within the first five minutes of the game or in the last 10.

Now, 35 wins is very impressive, and he’s put up 35 or more wins in each of the last four seasons. But it’s important to remember that the Stars are a top-five defensive team on a regular basis. That doesn’t mean Oettinger isn’t good; it just means that he benefits from a terrific system just as much as they benefit from him.

The Stars defensively were fourth in high-danger shots on goal (574), and second in high-danger goals against (100). From a bird’s-eye view, that’s pretty dang good. However, Oettinger had a .729 SV% on unblocked high-danger chances, which puts him in the middle of the league, and he shouldn’t be in the middle of the league in any category with how good he can be.

I’m no goalie guru. There are writers here and across North America who can speak to this better than I can. Although I do know that Oettinger is a big dude, 6-foot-6, and is very athletic, sometimes too athletic for his own good. Rather than using his size to his advantage, he will try to use his athleticism to make the save, which often backfires.

Oettinger Is His Own Toughest Critic

If there is anyone who knows he can be better than he was last season, it’s Oettinger himself.

“I want to win a Stanley Cup,” Oettinger said after the season. “I want to win the Vezina Trophy, and I want to be a starting goalie for Team USA at the Olympics. None of those three things happened.”

In his mind, he didn’t reach any of his goals, and general manager Jim Nill hinted at Oettinger’s honest look at his play at the end of the playoffs.

“He knows he needs to get better,” Nill said. “Not better, but more consistent.”

Last season was a weird one, both heading into the season and as it went along. The Stars were fresh off the debacle that saw former head coach Pete DeBoer pull Oettinger in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, a game where they were eventually eliminated. So, there was pressure on Oettinger there. It was an Olympic year. To us, it felt like Connor Hellebuyck was always a lock to start for the United States, but he didn’t have a great season either, and Jake honestly thought that he could compete in that role.

I believe in Oettinger, and I believe he can take that next step. He has the tools to do it, that’s for sure. Not only is he big and talented, but he’s also proven he can be among the best. He also plays behind one of the best teams in the league that is always on the short list of Stanley Cup contenders.

Casey DeSmith Is the Perfect Backup

DeSmith is entering the third and final season of a $1.05 million-per-year deal that, in my opinion, he has outplayed by a mile. He has played in 57 games with 52 starts since 2024-25 and went 29-16-8 in that stretch. His .911 SV% and a 2.50 GAA were good enough for seventh in the NHL among goalies who played at least 50 games.

Last season, DeSmith went 15-8-6 with a .907 SV% and a 2.43 GAA. When looking at a backup’s record, another way to look at it is that the Stars secured at least a point in 21 of 29 games with him in the crease. That’s what you need from a secondary netminder. The 34-year-old played a lot of games after travel or in a back-to-back situation, and went 9-2-6 on the road. In addition, his 13-game point streak became the new franchise record.