Dallas Stars trade draft pick to Pittsburgh for ex-Star Jamie Oleksiak

On Monday, the Dallas Stars traded their fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman and former Dallas Star Jamie Oleksiak.

The Dallas Stars are bringing back the “Big Rig,” defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins by the Stars in Dec. 2017 in exchange for a conditional 4th-round pick in 2019, was re-acquired by the Stars on Monday afternoon. The Stars sent their fourth-round pick in this summer’s draft to Pittsburgh in order to bring back Oleksiak.

While with the Penguins, Oleksiak recorded 25 points (8 G, 17 A) in 83 games. Oleksiak was third on the team this season in hits with 97 and also had 37 shot blocks.

The Toronto, Ontario native was selected 14th overall by the Stars in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

While with the Stars, Oleksiak worked his way up through the Texas Stars organization and made his NHL debut on Jan. 30, 2013. He recorded seven goals and 22 points across six seasons with the Stars before being traded to the Penguins.

Oleksiak has recorded 113 hits in the past two seasons and has over 500 in his career. At 6’7″ and 255 pounds, Oleksiak has a dominant physical presence and will add more size and strength to the Stars’ blue line.

Oleksiak signed a three-year deal worth just under $6.5 million dollars with the Penguins in the offseason last summer. He will be joining a defenseman group that revolves around speed and offensive production and will add physicality to the blue line.

Stars shut down Methot for the remainder of the season

Following the team’s announcement to trade for Oleksiak, Stars media also announced that defenseman Marc Methot underwent surgery on his left knee to repair an injury he suffered earlier in the season.

Methot, who signed with the team in the offseason prior to the start of the 2017-18 season, has only played in 45 games in a Dallas Stars’ sweater. He will become an unrestricted free agent following the end of this season.

Methot has now officially been moved to the Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), which not only shuts him down for the season but opens up cap space for the Stars to have more breathing room to make other transactions if they see fit.

With Methot out for the year, $12 million of Dallas’ salary cap is being spent on players who are on the Injured Reserve (IR): Stephen Johns, Marc Methot, and Martin Hanzal.

What do you think, Stars fans? Was it a good move for the Dallas Stars to trade for Jamie Oleksiak and bring him back to Dallas? Let us know in the comments below!

• Published on 01/28/2019 at 21:49 PM
• Last updated at 01/28/2019 at 21:49 PM