Remember in December last season when the Dallas Stars sent Jamie Oleksiak packing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick? Well, Monday afternoon the Dallas re-acquired Oleksiak in exchange for that same pick. Yes, Oleksiak will be heading back home to Dallas and in return, the fourth-round selection will head back home to Pittsburgh. It is as if the trade never happened one year, one month, and nine days later.

In that time span, the defenseman appeared in 83 games for the Penguins. Oleksiak put up eight goals and 17 assists with an average ice time of 16:44 and a plus/minus rating of 18. On the defensive side, the 26-year-old had 90 blocked shots and 235 hits.

Essentially, in Oleksiak’s short stint with the Penguins, he put up better stats offensively and came close to matching his defensive stats than in his roughly six years with the Stars. In Dallas, Oleksiak appeared in 140 games and had seven goals and 15 assists with an average ice time of 14:45 with a plus/minus rating of -23. Defensively, he had 183 blocked shots and 271 hits.

For Oleksiak, heading to Pittsburgh was a fresh start and a chance to find ice time. Ironically, Marc Methot was getting healthier and nearing a return, and so with a packed blueline that at the time included Marc Methot, Dan Hamhuis, Greg Pateryn, Stephen Johns, Julius Honka, John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, and occasionally Dillon Heatherington, Oleksiak was the odd man out.

The 26-year-old immediately slotted into the Pittsburgh lineup and seemed to find his future bright with the Penguins. Although, this season with Pittsburgh, he yet again found to be the odd man out on the blueline.

With Hamhuis never re-signed, Pateryn traded, John’s future in doubt with symptoms from his concussion, Honka inconsistent, Heatherington finding more time with the Texas Stars, and Marc Methot rarely finding ice time with injury –recently undergoing season-ending surgery–, ironically Olesiak is now needed.

It will come at a cost, though, as instead of dealing with arbitration, Pittsburgh paid Oleksiak $2,137,500 til 2020-21. The Stars can afford it right now but its a different contract then what he previously had in Dallas.

Marc Methot’s time in Dallas over?

I’m going to be honest: I sure hope so. Dallas traded with the Vegas Golden Knights for Methot in return for Dylan Ferguson and a 2020 second-round pick. In my mind, it’s been a bust, especially inheriting his $4.9 million contract.

Methot just underwent season-ending surgery, announced in conjunction with the Oleksiak trade, officially shutting down speculations of a return.

Methot is on the final season of his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. And I just don’t see Dallas giving Methot an extension unless it is a rather small one. The 33-year-old hasn’t been worth the money and actually makes more than top defenseman John Klingberg.

Since coming to Dallas, Methot hasn’t been able to shake off the injury bug and has seen limited action because of it. He has only seen 45 games in two seasons (36 in 2017-18 and nine in 2018-19) and only has one goal an two assists. While averaging 17:42 when he is on the ice, he hasn’t produced much with just a total of 62 blocked shots and 92 hits.

Methot helps give Dallas depth and a veteran presence on the young blueline when he’s active, but that has been a rarity.

Roman Polak and Taylor Fedun will also become unrestricted free agents this summer, although I’m willing to bet Dallas will extend Polak after this season. Esa Lindell, a pending restricted free agent, is another for sure re-signing.

Other upcoming restricted free agents include Connor Carrick and Julius Honka, whose future might in doubt. Carrick might be on the safe side, but Methot and Honka are the two biggest question marks.

The Carousel that is the Stars’ defense plagued with injuries and inconsistencies

We all underestimated the signing of Roman Polak, let’s admit it already. Everyone couldn’t understand why the former Toronto Maple Leaf was added other than depth. I mean with Methot and Johns expected to be big contributors and Heatherington eyeing a spot on the blueline, it was packed for the defense at the time.

Polak has been a rather great addition to the Stars’ blueline this season, coming in via free agency over the summer. He has been a savior at times, providing the most consistent play. He has helped to ground this defense when injuries have plagued Dallas this season.

Miro Heiskanen has been what everyone expected him to be, maybe more, but other he and Polak and the top pair of John Klingberg and Esa Lindell, inconsistencies have been all too prevalent.

Conner Carrick was a good trade pickup at the beginning of the season but coming back from his injury has proved tough. The Stars also acquired Taylor Fedun from the Buffalo Sabres in November, who has given them some depth but not too much more.

Other than that, it’s been a carousel of defenseman floating in an out of Cedar Park. Gavin Bayreuther, Joel Hanley, Ben Gleason, Gavin Bayreuther all saw time with Dallas but did little to prove themselves to stay beside helping Dallas get through the Klingberg injury. Including Julius Honka, they are all far too inconsistent.

The 26-year-old Jamie Oleksiak will, in a sense, get another fresh start to prove himself among a defense in Dallas that is young, inconsistent, and desperate for depth.