DALLAS — Jake Oettinger will never again take his health for granted. Professional athletes — especially the younger ones — often have a feeling of invincibility. The Dallas Stars goaltender knows what that's like.
And the sinking, helpless feeling when it's taken away. It was abruptly decided last July a lingering ankle injury Oettinger played through during the 2022-23 campaign and playoffs required surgery. The procedure cost him most of his summer workout schedule.
He only started skating right before training camp. "You learn a lot about yourself," Oettinger said. "You appreciate just being in the net and being healthy that much more.
" The 25-year-old, who has helped his team reach the NHL's Western Conference final against the Edmonton Oilers, started this season strong with a 5-0-1 record and a .939 save percentage. His numbers, however, then started to fall off, going 6-7-1 with an .
883 save percentage over his next 15 appearances before suffering a lower-body injury that sidelined him from mid-December to mid-January. "I'd be lying to you if I said there wasn't some concern at one point in the year," Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said of Oettinger's dip in form. "He's such a mature, unflappable kid.
You saw a little bit of vulnerability. "But I always took comfort in knowing that he had a foundation there that he could rely on, that his character is second to none, his leadership's second to none, that he was gonna get back there." Oettinger, who was still named.
