The 2015-16 season is a make-or-break one for Dallas Stars defense prospect Jamie Oleksiak if he is to graduate to becoming an NHL regular with the Stars. The player, who has completed his entry-level contract and re-signed a one-year, $875,000 contract, is entering his fourth pro season. He will turn 23 in late December.
Oleksiak, whom the Stars selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft, has split the first three years of his career between the NHL and the American Hockey League's Texas Stars.
The hulking defenseman has enjoyed his share of success in Cedar Park. He's played in an AHL All-Star Game during his rookie campaign in 2012-13 and was a key blueline player during the team's drive to winning the 2013-14 Calder Cup. In 163 AHL regular season games to date, Oleksiak has chipped in 72 points (15 goals, 57 assists) while posting a plus-52 at even strength.
When he has played at the NHL level, however, Oleksiak has looked overmatched at times; indecisive with and without the puck, struggled with puck possession, coverages and ill-timed turnovers even in a relatively sheltered role designed to help him settle in at the top level. Others have seemingly bypassed him on the depth chart.
Herein lies one of the conundrums of player development when a player progresses slowly: The Stars have steadfastly tried to avoid rushing Oleksiak into a bigger role than he is ready to handle. Defensemen tend to require longer to develop than forwards, and that is especially true for a player as big (now listed at 241 pounds on his 6-foot-7 frame) and raw as Oleksiak was when he was drafted.
That is sound strategy but where does Oleksiak go from here at his present rate of development?
First of all, he is no longer waiver exempt should the Stars feel he is still not ready for the NHL. Despite his struggles at the NHL level thus far, there is a strong possibility the Stars would not be able to get Oleksiak through waivers if they want to send him to the AHL. Even in the NHL, he has shown flashes of using the combination of size and athleticism that make him such an intriguing prospect. It's really a question of confidence and of reading and reacting at an NHL-caliber pace. He could also stand to make better use of his size.
Moreover, even if he were to clear waivers, Oleksiak really doesn't have much to gain from a fourth year spent primarily in the AHL. However, he also needs to be playing rather than sitting. It is questionable how much he would benefit from shuttling in and out of Lindy Ruff's lineup. For Oleksiak, the time is now to show that he's ready to take the next step in his game.
Dallas general manager Jim Nill has said there is a possibility that the club will carry eight defensemen this year. Heading into the season, John Klingberg, Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Johhny Oduya are all locks for the roster with Jordie Benn also likely to continue to hold down a top-six spot.
Thus, Oleksiak seems to be in preseason competition with Patrik Nemeth and Jyrki Jokipakka for playing time on the big club come opening night. It also possible that one of the three players could end up being available in trade if Stars are in the market for a little more veteran help on the blueline.
Dallas has some other promising young defensemen in the developmental pipeline, such as Esa Lindell and 2014 first-round pick Julius Honka, although those players likely need further seasoning before they are serious contenders for NHL starting jobs. While the Stars will continue to be as patient as possible with Oleksiak and give him every opportunity to show he can start to fulfill his potential at the NHL level, the patience will not be infinite.
On Sept 12, the Dallas Stars Alumni Team will play the Israeli national team in a charity benefit at Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco. The start time is 8:30 p.m.
Among the notable Stars Alumni slated to play in the game are goaltender Marty Turco, defensemen Richard Matvichuk and Craig Ludwig and forwards Guy Carbonneau and Greg Adams. Team Israel will feature the likes of prolific goaltender Evgeni Gusin and all-time leading national team scorer Sergei Frenkel.
Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com and range in price from $10-$50. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a ticket for the Stars- Florida Panthers preseason game on Oct. 24 for $10 when purchasing tickets for the Stars Alumni game.
For more information, click here.
