Oettinger signed an eight-year, $66 million contract with the Stars on Oct. 17, 2024, earning praise from general manager Jim Nill "as one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL." At the time of the signing, Oettinger ranked in the top 10 in wins (116, sixth) and goals-against average (2.49, seventh) among active goalies to play at least 50 regular-season games since the 2020-21 NHL season.

Oettinger played for the runner-up United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off and won gold with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the country's first in men's Olympic hockey since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

Oettinger also earned the a three-year, $12 million contract he signed as a restricted free agent Sept. 2, 2022. He was 30-15-1 with a 2.53 GAA, .914 save percentage and two shutouts in 48 games (46 starts) the previous season after beginning it behind Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin on the depth chart before taking over as the No. 1 halfway through. Although Dallas lost to the Calgary Flames in seven games in the Western Conference First Round, Oettinger held one of the highest-scoring offenses in the NHL to 13 goals, and had a 1.81 GAA, .954 save percentage and one shutout. He made 64 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 7.

Oettinger became the first goalie in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to make his NHL debut in the round leading into the Stanley Cup Final when he played the third period for the Stars in a 3-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final on Sept. 8, 2020. He made five saves without allowing a goal.

His second NHL appearance came under an even bigger spotlight. Oettinger relieved Khudobin and played the third period during a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Cup Final on Sept. 23, 2020. He made three saves and did not allow a goal.

Oettinger was selected by Dallas in the first round (No. 26) of the 2017 NHL Draft, following his freshman season at Boston University. He played two more seasons at BU before signing with the Stars on March 25, 2019, and was 15-16-4 with a 2.57 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and three shutouts in 38 games with Texas of the American Hockey League in 2019-20, his first full pro season.

The native of Lakeville, Minnesota, played two seasons with the United States National Team Development Program before joining Boston University. He was a member of the United States teams that finished first at the 2015 IIHF World Under-18 Championship and the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.