Building off strong rookie season is key for Jacob Peterson

Jacob Peterson

Performance evaluation

Peterson was likely slated to play in the AHL last season, what with it being his first year coming over from Sweden and players in that situation typically needing a year to get used to North American hockey. But Peterson defied the odds, earned a pretty regular spot in the lineup and tallied 12 goals, sixth most on the Stars. He averaged 11:04 in time on ice, which was 12th among forwards, including 42 seconds of power-play time per game, which ranked ninth among forwards.

Expectations for 2022-23

As good as last season was for Peterson, the challenge only gets tougher this season. While Dallas lost forwards Alexander Radulov, Michael Raffl and Vladislav Namestnikov, the club is opening the door for a real battle among forwards for time on ice.
In addition to the trio of Mavrik Bourque, Logan Stankoven and Wyatt Johnston possibly getting a chance to make the NHL roster, the Stars will be taking a serious look at Ty Dellandrea, Riley Damiani and Fredrik Olofsson, among others. That means the battles will be intense and everyone starts fresh with the new coaching staff.

Peterson had below average possession stats at 45.3% SAT, but that was in line with most of the other bottom-six forwards. He also was among the lightest hitters at 1.86 per 60 minutes, which ranked 27th on the team. That means players like Joel Kiviranta (10.91 hits per 60) could offer a different element for the coaches. That makes Peterson's ability to score even more important. Could he improve on the 12 goals he had last season? It'd be a big boost to his cause if he does.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.

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