The Stars locked up Casey DeSmith before Friday night's opener, handing Jake Oettinger's backup a two-year extension.
The deal is worth $5 million total, a $2.5 million AAV, and it kicks in with the 2027-28 season.
That's a real raise. DeSmith is finishing a three-year contract this season that pays him $1.05 million annually.
Jim Nill made his feelings clear. "Extending Casey has been a priority for us, and we're excited to have him locked up for two more years."
The GM kept going. "He's been incredibly reliable during his time with our organization, and we are looking forward to the tandem of Casey and Jake continuing to anchor our team moving forward."
-
The numbers back up the word reliable. Last season the goalie went 15-8-6 with a 2.43 GAA over 30 games.
The year before, he posted a .917 save percentage across 27 games.
Friday's opener starts a back-to-back that shows why DeSmith matters
The schedule makes the point right away. Dallas hosts St. Louis on Friday, then visits Nashville on Saturday.
Back-to-backs are where a No. 2 earns his money. Another one hits in mid-October, with Colorado at home and then in Denver on consecutive nights.
Oettinger carries an $8,250,000 cap hit, so a steady backup protects that investment as much as it steals wins.
This is smart money. A fair price for a goalie who's been this dependable behind a star starter, even if the deal runs through his age-37 season.
A reliable backup is like a spare tire you actually check. Nobody thinks about it until the night it saves the trip.
Career-wise, DeSmith owns a .910 save percentage over 220 NHL games, with stops in Pittsburgh, Vancouver and now Dallas.
Glen Gulutzan's group rides a four-game win streak into the opener, with the crease settled for years.
The only question is age. Dallas just bet it gets the same DeSmith at 36 and 37 that it's had the past two seasons, and goalies don't always cooperate with that math.
Was a two-year extension for 35-year-old Casey DeSmith the right call for the Stars?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck trade to Edmonton: New info changes both teams' immediate futures
