'He's been that good': Jacob Peterson continues to make a case to stay

FRISCO, Texas -- Truth be told, there weren't supposed to be any surprises in training camp for the Stars this year.
Management had loaded up the roster with one-way contracts and filled any holes in the summertime, so you really could start putting your roster in ink around Oct. 1.

But a funny thing happened on the way to opening night at Madison Square Garden - and it could be a happy thing for Jacob Peterson.
Dallas welcomed a trio of Swedish players to development camp and the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, and there really wasn't much known about Peterson, Fredrik Karlstrom and Oskar Back. They were each in their young 20s, and each with plenty of experience in the Swedish Hockey League.
Not unlike Roope Hintz or Denis Gurianov or Esa Lindell, they were European-trained players who probably needed a year in the AHL before they'd be ready to help the big club.
But right from the start, Peterson seemed a little different. Listed at 6-1, 180, he's not particularly big or incredibly fast, but his hockey smarts are apparent. He sees plays, he knows where to be and he minimizes mistakes. In Traverse City against his peers, he had three goals in four games. Once NHL camp started, he found himself on a line next to Tyler Seguin.
"He's looked very good, and he's fit in with whoever you've played him with," Stars head coach Rick Bowness said. "He played with Seggy the other night. The guys love playing with him because he's got such good hockey sense and skills."
That's a huge compliment when you consider Peterson has played on much bigger rinks in Europe and is adapting to both the size and quickness of the North American game. There isn't near as much time to think, but he seems to have a knack for doing it quickly.

"I think it started in Traverse, getting used to the rink and stuff like that," Peterson said. "With that, the confidence comes, so I think it started there."
Now the confidence is building. He has just one assist in four preseason games, but he has 11 shots on goal, and he looks like he fits right in with Seguin and Alexander Radulov.
"I think his skill is the first thing, but the thing I noticed right away was his confidence and his mind," Seguin said. "He's not your typical rookie. I didn't know much about him until really that first day when I saw his name with Rads and I. We hadn't seen him much in camp and instantly in that practice, he was confident in the drills. I went to kind of help him and he didn't need my help. You don't see that too often. Realizing he's 22 years old, he's played pro already over in Sweden, he's going to be a heck of a hockey player."
Bowness said understanding the nuances of the game is tough for any young player, but especially difficult for someone where English isn't his first language. But Peterson has been a quick study during games.
"What we notice is that the adjustments we make between periods, he picks right up on it," Bowness said. "Like our forecheck was a little out of structure (against Arizona) at times, so we tried to clean it up on the board between periods, and he picked right up on it. He knew right where he was supposed to be. His hockey sense, his poise with the puck, he's a very intelligent player."
The Stars have an interesting mix in the forward group. The top line of Hintz centering Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson seems set. They could go with a second line of Seguin centering Radulov and Jamie Benn, but they want to try Benn at center after he succeeded in that position last season. So, if they have Seguin with Radulov and Benn with Gurianov, that leaves two openings at left wing. Joel Kiviranta is expected to get a look there, and newcomer Michael Raffl also has received plenty of looks in preseason.
But it would be tough to say that Peterson hasn't been just as good, and that has to open a door for him.
"He makes plays, he kills penalties and he's good on the power play," Bowness said of the need for versatility in his depth forwards. "We want to keep looking at him, but he's put himself in a position, in a serious position, to make the hockey club. He's been that good."
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, and listen to his podcast.