Why Casey DeSmith can replicate the fruitful relationship of Oettinger & Wedgewood in Dallas
The Stars have had one of the tightest goalie rooms in the NHL over the past few seasons.
When I sat down to write this story ahead of the start of free agency on July 1, I had a much different plan.
The story was going to be about the mutually fruitful goaltending relationship between starter Jake Oettinger and backup Scott Wedgewood. After speaking with Scott, it seemed certain that one or both sides would eventually find a middle ground to get a deal done and keep him in Dallas for at least one more year. Scott did not hold back his hopes to stay with the Stars, especially after the recent birth of his first child.
“Yeah, definitely,” he said about wanting to return to Dallas. “We’ve had our talks, and it hasn’t been in my favor… That’s been my goal from the moment I signed two years ago, to hopefully stay there and make it work long-term. My wife loves it, we had our baby girl there, tons of family and some fans I feel like I’ve connected with. To leave would definitely be heartbreaking.”
But on July 1, the Stars signed former Vancouver Canucks backup Casey DeSmith and Wedgewood was on his way to back up Juuse Saros in Nashville. After only two (plus a little) seasons, the duo was no more.
So, here we are. Instead of looking at just how successful and rare the Oettinger-Wedgewood duo had been and why, I will be diving into why DeSmith should be able to replicate it, find success on an individual and team level and help the Dallas starter’s growth among the NHL elite.
One of the rarest parts of Wedgewood’s move to Dallas was his constant assurance of not wanting to take the starting job. Sure, he wanted to play as many games as possible, but he was well aware of the situation with the young superstar that held the Stars crease. He was there for Oettinger first, and would truly do whatever it took to help him and the team find success.
While DeSmith was not as adamant about this during his first Dallas press conference, he did speak highly of Oettinger and all that he has accomplished.
“I love watching him play,” DeSmith said. “We played against him a couple of times last year, he had two great games. Obviously, he’s a big body. But he moves really well, he’s very compact, doesn’t let up a lot of goals that go through him and reads the game well too. I don’t think he has any glaring weaknesses, he’s very talented… I have nothing but good things to say about his game, and I’m looking forward to cheering him on.”
DeSmith and Oettinger should quickly become close.
They are both American goalies. They both have the experience of playing college hockey in the tough Hockey East conference (Oettinger at Boston University, DeSmith at the University of New Hampshire), they both love golf and DeSmith is coming off a backup role to Thatcher Demko, another relatively young superstar Hockey East (Boston College) and American goalie in Vancouver.
“I think it all starts with a friendship, right?” DeSmith said. “You spend a lot of time together over the course of a year, two years, three years. I mean, I have no doubt that we're going to be good friends. But that's where it starts. For me. It's just creating a good relationship off the ice. And obviously, it's really easy to support him on the ice in whatever ways he sees fit.”
How did that time in Vancouver go?
In 2023-24, both Demko and DeSmith finished in the top 20 or higher among goaltenders (min 10 games) in nearly all statistics. Their identical .923 save percentage ranked 18th and 19th, while DeSmith allowed 2.02 goals per game (9th) and Demko 2.12 (13th). Demko was 2nd in goals saved above expected (22.0), 9th in goals saved above average (10.88) and finished three wins shy of the NHL leader (35- tied with Oettinger).
But most importantly, when backed up by DeSmith last season, Demko finished with career-highs in every goaltending statistic. All while playing 13 fewer games than he did in 2021-22 (51).
When DeSmith was in Pittsburgh, Matt Murray had three of his best seasons. When Murray left, Tristan Jarry came in and finished just shy of a career year in 2021-22. It is not a coincidence. Success in the goalie room has followed DeSmith throughout his career.
And through all of that, it has been a relationship between the 32-year-old veteran DeSmith and a younger starter, the same situation as the 2024-25 Dallas Stars.
“I was with Jarry in Pittsburgh for a while, and I was with Demko obviously last year,” DeSmith said. “Both those guys I think are four years younger than me. And it's been good. I mean, obviously they're not like little kids or anything… I just think that everyone's different and that's kind of the best way that I can describe the relationships that I have is that no relationships are the same. And I know that my relationship with Jake is going to be a little bit different than my relationship with ‘Demmer’ and ‘Jay’ before him… Just about building that relationship and finding out what that goalie needs from you. On the ice, off the ice as far as a partnership, and that's exactly what it is.”
There is no reason to think Oettinger and DeSmith will not have the same success. Like Wedgewood, DeSmith will be a reliable backup that can do exactly what a backup goalie needs to do.
He can play as many games as needed (career-high 38), which means he can slot into all of the tough games when called upon while also serving as a safety blanket if Oettinger misses time with another injury. He can provide the Stars with starting goaltender numbers, as he has finished with a save percentage above .900 in six of his seven NHL seasons. Unlike Wedgewood, he has some real Stanley Cup Playoff experience, coming in and playing well in relief of Demko in the first round against Nashville this spring.
And equally as important, he can provide the friendship, teammate and support system aspects that Wedgewood did so well.
“I mean, every goalie is different,” DeSmith said. “I just try and be a good friend, a good support system. You know, a good shoulder to lean on, whatever I feel like my golden partner needs. And then when it's time for me to play, just go in there and do my best. Try and get the team two points. When I'm called upon, try and do my job. And as long as I'm giving my team a chance to win when I'm in there, I feel like that's the best thing I can do as far as on the ice stuff.”
Don’t get me wrong, DeSmith will have some big shoes to fill. Just look at what Oettinger said about Wedgewood at the Stars’ end-of-year media availability in June:
“He’s the best goalie partner I’ve ever had in my career,” Oettinger said. “Knowing that you have someone that has your back and wants you to genuinely do well. He’s helped me so much and just gives me confidence. I really, really want to see him back.”
But the new tandem will have time to get to know each other, both will get full summers of training (Oettinger was barely able to skate due to injury last offseason, while DeSmith was traded twice and did not get to Vancouver until one day before camp) and DeSmith has been in this situation before during his career. It’s a recipe for success.
It may take a little time to find the keys to their relationship and what works, but it should get there. DeSmith has a similar mentality to Wedgewood and has one goal for whatever team he is on: Make his goalie partner and team better.
“Preparing the right way going into practice with the right mindset and working hard, and there's no substitute for hard work,” DeSmith said. “And that's something that I pride myself on. I feel like I've been a hard worker my whole career and that's a lot of the reason why I am where I am. I just think that the harder that I work in practice, the harder I make it on guys to score in practice, the better it is for everybody, the better it is for me, the better it is for all my teammates because I'm making them better as well… I'm just trying to be the best teammate that I can be and be the best backup goalie that I can be for whatever team I'm playing for.”