Is Jake Oettinger's prime being wasted in Dallas? The franchise is to blame

TL;DR

Jake Oettinger, the Dallas Stars' goaltender, is underutilized despite his impressive performance and contract. The team struggles with scoring at even strength, leading to another early playoff exit.

Key points

Jake Oettinger has an eight-year, $66 million contract.
He has played 71 playoff games and led the team to three straight Western Conference Finals.
Dallas struggled to score at even strength in the playoffs, contributing to their early exit.

Jake OettingerDallas Stars

Is Jake Oettinger's prime being wasted in Dallas? The franchise is to blame originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Jake Oettinger, 27, has an eight-year, $66 million contract with Dallas. He has played 71 playoff games, led the team to three straight Western Conference Finals and won 35 regular-season games this year, which is the third-most in the NHL.

Yet Dallas is watching another offseason start without a Cup. And for the second straight year, they lost because they cannot score at even strength.

Against Minnesota in Round 1, the Stars went nearly three and a half games (209:56) without an even-strength goal. They scored only four 5-on-5 goals out of 15 total goals in the six-game series. In contrast, the Wild scored 14 even-strength goals.

Last year in the Western Conference Final, they had a similar problem on the ice, scoring only five even-strength goals and losing to Edmonton in six games.

Jake Oettinger's honest assessment signals growing urgency

Oettinger did not hide his frustration during his exit interview. He was direct about where things stand for him and for the franchise.

"I don't feel like I accomplished any of my goals," Oettinger said. "I want to win a Stanley Cup, I want to win the Vezina Trophy, and I want to be a starting goalie for Team USA at the Olympics and none of those three things happened."

Q&A

How many playoff games has Jake Oettinger played for the Dallas Stars?

Jake Oettinger has played 71 playoff games for the Dallas Stars.

What is Jake Oettinger's contract with the Dallas Stars?

Jake Oettinger has an eight-year, $66 million contract with the Dallas Stars.

Why did the Dallas Stars lose in the playoffs against Minnesota?

The Dallas Stars lost to Minnesota due to their inability to score at even strength, managing only four 5-on-5 goals in the series.