Dallas Stars Aquire Jamie Oleksiak From Pittsburgh Penguins. The Dallas Stars defensive corps got a size upgrade Monday afternoon when it was announced that Jamie Oleksiak had been traded to the Stars from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 4th round pick. Oleksiak was originally drafted 14th overall by the Stars in 2011. He was then traded to the Penguins during the 2017-18 season after splitting time between the NHL and AHL in his first four years in Dallas. At 6’7″, Oleksiak is one of the tallest defenders in the NHL and will most likely slot in on the Stars third defensive pairing after it was announced Marc Methot will undergo season-ending knee surgery. Dallas is currently hanging on to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference and tied in points with the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Cannucks at 52.
Big Rig returns to Big D!
The Dallas Stars have acquired defenseman Jamie Oleksiak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. https://t.co/7NkXgxBP7G
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 28, 2019
Dallas Stars Aquire Jamie Oleksiak From Pittsburgh Penguins For 4th Round Pick
Now that he is back in Dallas, Oleksiak will be looking to add even more defensive depth to Dallas. A team that fixed its defensive problem from recent years. The Stars defense made strides in 2017-18 when they finished the season allowing the 7th fewest goals as a team. From 2013 to 2017, they were allowing the 3rd most against under ex-head coach Lindy Ruff. Dallas has improved again this season, currently allowing the 3rd least. Despite this, the Stars has lacked scoring and still possess a negative goal differential.
Oleksiak will not help the Stars need for goals but can provide penalty killing help if the Stars desire. He was buried on the depth chart in Pittsburgh and saw limited time on all special teams play. The 26-year-old has averaged 15:52 minutes of ice time per game, in 26 games and has 11 points.
Assuming Julius Honka finds more playing time as the third right-handed shot defenseman, Dallas’ defense will now only have one regular starter over the age of 26.
Last Word
If the Stars are attempting to gear up for a playoff run, this most likely will not be their last move before the February 25th trade deadline. Dallas’ depth scoring has been abysmal this season and ranks 3rd worst in the NHL in goals for. They’ve already made one move for Andrew Cogliano and could look be looking for another right winger to jump start some second-line scoring. Outside of their big-three scorers, Jason Spezza is the only forward with more than 20 points.
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