We’ve hit the top ten of Sharks prospects under the age of 25, and starting things off is a newcomer to team teal. Jacob Peterson only arrived in San Jose in March when San Jose traded prospect Scott Reedy to the Dallas Stars for Peterson. Both Reedy and Peterson were having trouble cracking the lineup with their respective clubs, so a change of scenery was in order.
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180 lbs.
Age: 24
Date of Birth: July 19, 1999
Draft Year: 2017, 132nd overall by the Dallas Stars
Shoots: Left
2023-24 Team: San Jose Barracuda/San Jose Sharks
Peterson was drafted 132nd overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Stars. He did not immediately move to North America, playing his post-draft season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for Frölunda HC. He played a majority of games with the Frölunda HC’s J20 team before he was called up to the top tier to play nine games. Peterson did not register a point during those nine game.
For the next few years, he moved between the lower tiers of the SHL, occasionally getting a taste of the top tier, but never really sticking. Then, in 2019-20, he played his first full season in the SHL’s top tier. In 43 games, Peterson had 16 points (5 G, 11 A). The remainder of the season was cancelled because of COVID-19.
At the same time, Peterson left Frölunda HC and joined Färjestad BK, another team in the SHL. He played the 2020-21 season with Färjestad BK where he doubled his point total, scoring 33 points (14 G, 19 A) in 46 games.
Following his success in the SHL, Peterson signed an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars.
He exploded onto the scene with the Stars, forcing then-head coach Rick Bowness to slot him into the opening night lineup in 2021-22.
“He’s looked very good, and he’s fit in with whoever you’ve played him with,” Bowness told Texas Hockey at the time. “He played with Seggy [Tyler Seguin] the other night. The guys love playing with him because he’s got such good hockey sense and skills.”
Tyler Seguin was equally impressed and said Peterson’s confidence stood out.
“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,” Seguin told Texas Hockey. “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.”
In his rookie season, Peterson played 65 games for the Stars and scored 17 points (5 G, 12 A).
But his play fell off by the time the 2022-23 season rolled around and Peterson was left off the opening night roster. Dallas had a new head coach in Pete DeBoer and the change in coaching styles may have contributed to his lack of success. Peterson spent most of last season playing for Dallas’ AHL affiliate the Texas Stars. He did well, scoring 26 points (13 G, 13 A) in 44 games, but only earned a one-game callup during that time.
Peterson was passed on the Dallas depth chart by other young rookies including Wyatt Johnston and Ty Dellandrea. His time was the Stars was over.
After the March 3, 2023 trade, Peterson immediately joined the Barracuda. He played eight games with San Jose’s AHL team before he was called up to the Sharks. Once there, Peterson stuck around until the end of the season.
In 11 games in teal, Peterson had 8 points (2 G, 6 A) and played mostly alongside Tomas Hertl at even strength.
Peterson looked good in his games with the Sharks, receiving plenty of ice time with the team’s top-six forward group, a benefit he was not receiving with the Dallas Stars, which has more forward depth. He has the chance to succeed in San Jose, where there are holes in the lineup.
With 77 NHL games under his belt, this could be a make or break season for Peterson and there’s reason for hope that the young forward may be turning a corner. In those 77 games, Peterson has recorded a respectable 25 points (14 G, 11 A). Considering that 8 of those 25 points came in his last 11 games, it would be reasonable to believe that Peterson might be finding his groove in the NHL.
Perhaps finding a new home in San Jose will help reinspire that confidence that Peterson had when he first came to North America from the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) just two years ago.
What we like
Peterson is a two-way forward who isn’t afraid to enter the area in front of the net and fire the puck.
He makes defensively sound hockey plays that fuel the rush in the other direction. His high hockey IQ makes him the kind of player that you can put into all situations whether it’s even strength, on the penalty kill or on the power play.
As David Enbom pointed out on Elite Prospects: “[Peterson] makes his teammates better by using his tremendous hockey IQ.”
Don’t expect Peterson to be a top tier player in the NHL, but there is a place for him in a contending lineup if he finds a way to put everything together consistently. Scott Wheeler’s evaluation of Peterson in The Athletic in 2022 tells us what we can expect of the forward.
“Peterson plays a middle-lane game built around an NHL frame (6-foot-1, 180 pounds), pushing tempo through the neutral zone, cutting to the slot in the offensive zone, smart choices along the cycle, and confidence with the puck. He’s also got a dangerous catch-and-release shot and snap shot, which he turns on to use the momentum of a swing/pivot to leverage,” wrote Wheeler. “His skill isn’t high-end and his game isn’t particularly physical, but he’s got good enough skill and engagement that he should settle in nicely as a complementary piece. And while I’d still expect natural growth at his age as he gets more comfortable in the NHL, I wouldn’t expect a huge developmental progression from here on out.”
Areas of improvement
Consistency will be key for Peterson.
This season is likely his prove it year. He’s had opportunities in the past with the Stars but never locked down a spot in the lineup. In Dallas, Peterson was consistently passed by other prospects in the depth chart. With San Jose, the opportunity is there for the taking.
With a good training camp, Peterson can be one of the forwards on the opening night roster. Once there, Peterson will need to become a consistent scoring threat. He’ll need to play like he did at the end of last season for the Sharks, not the way he did during the 66 games prior with the Stars.
For Peterson, the question is, can he pull his skills and hockey IQ together every day to become an asset to an NHL club?
Highlights
The clip below is from the AHL, but it shows Peterson using all his skills in a single play. He’s on the penalty kill when he reads the other team’s rush into his offensive zone. Peterson gets a stick on the puck to disrupt the entry, and then he and his teammate turn it into a scoring opportunity for the Stars. Peterson uses his strong shot to finish the play and score the short-handed goal.
A shorthanded goal from Jacob Peterson added to a 5-1 victory for the @TexasStars tonight. pic.twitter.com/OyLrWnrMA1
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) November 27, 2022
And, earlier this season with the Sharks, Peterson scored goals in back to back games. Both were scored on the power play and from the same area in front of the net. The first clip is from the April 1, 2023 game against the Arizona Coyotes.
The second clip is from the April 4, 2023 game against the Colorado Avalanche.
NHL Video Highlight – Jacob Peterson scores a power-play goal against the Arizona Coyotes to make it 2-0. pic.twitter.com/caCy64RcHd
— Coyotes Game Bot (@CoyotesGameBot) April 2, 2023
Jacob Peterson scores a power-play goal against the Colorado Avalanche to make it 3-2 #SJSvsCOL #SJSharks #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Y4WgLR5Sy4
— nopClips (@nopClips) April 5, 2023
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