With the injuries to Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene right now, Dallas Stars fans are on edge at the moment. Any little news about a player missing a game will send fans ' anxiety levels through the roof. However, there's no need to worry about Jake Oettinger missing tomorrow night's game against the Oilers. It was announced this morning that Oettinger will miss tomorrow night's game due to his wife, Kennedi, giving birth to their first child. I don't think Oettinger will miss much time due to that.
We discussed that Casey DeSmith and Remi Poirier may have to carry some of the load this season due to Oettinger's wife giving birth and the Winter Olympics. The Stars are going to have to kick up the offense to get revenge on the team that has eliminated them from the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past two seasons. That means Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson need to find ways to put the puck in the net. I'm sure the Stars will give it their all to dedicate tomorrow night's game to the new Oettinger family member.
As for Oettinger, there's no need to worry about missing tomorrow. Enjoy soaking in the first days of being a dad. The Stars have the firepower to win games if you need to step away for a game or two. Just enjoy becoming a dad and help out your wife in the hospital. There is plenty of season left for you to get back into the Vezina Trophy race. You can always stream the game tomorrow night and show your kid all of his uncles.
Oettinger has had a good start to the season, despite his current record. He has a 5-2-2 record and has stopped 241 shots this season. If the Stars decide to keep Poirier in the minors tomorrow, Oettinger could be DeSmith's backup goaltender. I'll keep an eye on the AHL transactions today to see if the Stars call him up. However, we should be happy for Oettinger today as he begins a new chapter in his life as a dad.