Oleksiak hoping to develop game with Pens
Afterward, Oleksiak got off the ice, showered and ate lunch. As he was leaving, his phone rang with a call from Stars general manager Jim Nill informing Oleksiak that he had been traded to the Penguins for a 2019 conditional fourth-round selection.
The deal was finalized while the Penguins were still in the air flying back from Colorado, so when the team landed, Oleksiak spoke with members of management and the coaching staff. He then packed a bag and headed to the airport to catch the next flight to Pittsburgh, and spoke to members of the local media while waiting to board.
"It's been a pretty whirlwind day, but I'm looking forward to getting out to Pittsburgh and meeting the guys and meeting everyone in the organization and getting the ball rolling," Oleksiak said. "Got a lot of emotions going through my head right now, but I think once I get to the rink it'll be business as usual and I'm looking forward to it."
Oleksiak is a young defenseman - just 24 years old - who has played parts of the last six years with Dallas. He's best known throughout the league for his size, standing at 6-foot-7, 255 pounds.
As Sam Kasan
wrote earlier today
, that size is something that is currently lacking from the Penguins' blue line, which is constructed mostly of puck-moving, swift-skating defensemen. Oleksiak hopes to use that to his advantage while keeping up with how the Penguins want to play, which is, of course, with pace.
"I want to play a responsible defensive game, but at the same time, I think I can move the puck well," Oleksiak said. "And I think for a guy my size, I'm a pretty good skater so I can close the gap a little bit and shut down other teams' rushes and opportunities and try to turn it up quickly.
"I know in Pittsburgh they have a lot of high-skill defenseman, and I think being a bigger guy I can definitely use that to my advantage to be an imposing force, bring a little physicality to the lineup. Just play a steady, responsible game overall."
The development process has been coming along relatively slowly for Oleksiak, who was selected by the Stars in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft and has yet to play a full season in the league - skating in a career-high 41 games with Dallas last season and 21 so far this season.
But he's somebody who still has plenty of potential and hopes to reach it with the Penguins - a team who has gotten a reputation for rejuvenating the careers of young defensemen.
While Justin Schultz is the highest-profile example of that, Oleksiak actually pointed to a couple of other players who stand out to him in that regard. He mentioned former teammates Cameron Gaunce and Chad Ruhwedel as players who took "big strides" with Pittsburgh, and even longtime Star Trevor Daley.
"He's obviously not a younger guy, but I think he really enjoyed his time with Pitt and appreciated all the work they put in with him," Oleksiak said.
Overall, Oleksiak knows that the Penguins will do everything they can to help him succeed, and he can't wait to get started with his new organization.
"I think they have a history of helping young guys develop, and I'm looking forward to that opportunity and making the most out of it," he said. "Working with guys like (Sergei) Gonchar and getting on the ice and just developing and try to fit in as fast as possible."
