Why Jake Oettinger's minutes might define everything for Dallas in 2025-26

The Dallas Stars' championship hopes in 2025-26 may come down to one pressing question: how much should Jake Oettinger play?

After three straight Western Conference Final appearances, Oettinger remains the backbone of the roster. At 26 years old, he's entering his prime, but his workload has become a major storyline heading into the season. Will new head coach Glen Gulutzan lean on him heavily again, or will Casey DeSmith get more opportunities to spell him off?

The balance might determine whether Dallas has the energy left in the tank for another deep playoff run.

Managing Jake Oettinger's minutes could be Dallas's biggest test in 2025-26

Last season, Oettinger posted a .909 save percentage across 55 starts, tied for ninth among NHL goaltenders with at least 35 games played. While those numbers were solid, they came after an uneven stretch where fatigue appeared to play a role. As former Stars goalie Anton Khudobin pointed out in a recent interview,

"Now I look, even in the NHL, out of the 32 starting goalies, at least 12 to 15 of them are sitting around an .880 save percentage, and I think that's a really weak number."

DeSmith was brought in to give Dallas a reliable backup option, but his role has been inconsistent. As NHL.com's Stars coverage noted, the Stars need him to take pressure off Oettinger if they want their No. 1 to be fresh come May. Gulutzan faces the challenge of trusting DeSmith enough to reduce Oettinger's workload without sacrificing wins in a tight Central Division race.

Personally, I think this season will hinge on how Dallas handles the balance. Oettinger is the kind of goalie who can steal a series, but only if he isn't worn down by April.