Stars' Jake Oettinger Makes Admission After 6th NHL Season

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Stars' Jake Oettinger Makes Admission After 6th NHL Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Smith | Last updated May 4, 2026 1:48 PM ET

For three straight seasons, the Dallas Stars have reached the Western Conference Finals, but despite having a loaded roster, time and time again, they've fallen short of the Stanley Cup Finals. This season, the team was eliminated in round one by the Minnesota Wild, and it's safe to say that most, if not all, around the NHL see this run by the Stars as a major failure.

One player on this Stars team who had lofty goals for the year was Jake Oettinger, but when it mattered most, he struggled for the most part, giving up 19 goals in the six-game series while posting an .893 save percentage.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) defends his net against the Minnesota Wild.Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

That comes on the back of yet another great regular season for Oettinger. He put together a 2.59 GAA and a .899 save percentage, but ultimately, the lofty expectations make this seem like a lost season.

During the Stars' exit interviews, Oettinger opened up on the season that was, and while the Stars ended the year as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the goalie admitted that he failed to live up to his goals.

"I want to win a Stanley Cup. I want to win the Vezina trophy, and I want to be a starting goal for team USA at the Olympics", Oettinger said. "And none of those three things happened".

Jake Oettinger evaluates his 2025-26 season stating, “I don’t feel like I accomplished any of my goals”.

“I want to win a Stanley Cup. I want to win the Vezina trophy, and I want to be a starting goal for team USA at the Olympics.

And none of those three things happen.

So I… pic.twitter.com/bf8cWLkU8S
— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) May 4, 2026

To be part of that USA team that won gold was a major accomplishment for Oettinger, but clearly, he had a much bigger goal in mind, even though he was up against the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner for the role of starter on Team USA.

At 27 years of age, Oettinger has already accomplished much at the NHL level, but after another season with no accolades and no appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, frustration appears to be mounting for the Stars goaltender.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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