The Dallas Stars came to terms with 18 year-old Jamie Oleksiak yesterday on a three-year entry-level deal. Oleksiak went 14th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft this summer, and is headed back to Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League for further development.
Oleksiak, a product of Northeastern University, has played five games to date with the Saginaw Spirit, registering one goal and eight penalty minutes. Prior to his OHL debut, Oleksiak appeared 38 times with Northeastern where he scored 4 goals and 13 assists with a +13 rating. He has played for Chicago and Sioux Falls of the USHL, totaling 2 goals and 18 points in 82 games through two years.“Jamie is a very promising player for the future of our organization,” said Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk. “He has a strong work ethic and we are looking forward to watching him develop as his career progresses.”
Standing at a towering 6’7 220lbs., Oleksiak possesses a good mixture of size and skill. His defensive play and ability to use his large frame increased greatly with Northeastern last year compared to his outings in the USHL. For such a large defenseman, Oleksiak is very sound on his feet. He could become a better skater, but still skates quite fluidly and effectively taking large and long strides while breaking out of his zone. His puck skills are on par as well, as his first pass and puck handling ability is superb at such a young age.
It may be some time before Oleksiak plays in the NHL, but with the changes going about within the organization and the kind of potential this kid has, chances are he will be there and he will certainly raise some eyebrows.
- Kendall Grubbs
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