The first thing that has helped Petrovic earn a spot in the lineup is that he is a right-handed shooter. With the Stars already limited on the right side, they lost Lundkvist about a month ago, and it is unknown when he will be back. This factor has given Petrovic his best regular-season opportunity in years. When he first signed with the Dallas Stars, most people thought he would help Curtis McKenzie mentor the kids down in the AHL. That is no longer the case this season after earning his spot in training camp.
Petrovic has gone through some changes in the first month of this season. What I mean is, fans were just happy in the first few games to see him get the puck out of the zone and not get beaten for easy goals. Now spending some time in the top four, the fans and coaches have new expectations. Honestly, Petrovic has done a solid job stepping up and solidifying the defense. While the defense has a ways to go this season, Petrovic's presence moves it in the right direction.
Paired with Bischel, Petrovic had to create some chemistry. Bischel and Petrovic have improved their passing skills recently, especially to each other. They both do not pinch in the offensive zone, which is totally acceptable. Their work on the blue line has improved as well. If I were Dallas Stars Head Coach Glenn Gulutzan, I would keep them together as much as possible. Both Bichsel and Petrovic have played together in the AHL.
Petrovic scored his first regular-season goal this season against Montreal a couple of weeks ago, which was his first regular-season goal since 2018. He led the team with 5 +/- in that game as well. Usually, he is one of those players who, if you do not hear their name on the broadcast, that means they are doing great. However, in Montreal, he was all over the ice. There is definitely some uncertainty for Petrovic's playing time when Lundkvist returns. However, he has been able to eat up a lot of ice time, so Heiskanen and Lindell do not have to play the entire game.
While he is playing every day, there are two things I would like to see him work on. The bottom six have done a great job with greasy goals. When on the blue line with the puck, Petrovic is faced with the decision to shoot it around defenders or chip it in deep. This is a hard choice to make, with every time being unique, but I would like to see him try to shoot more when one forward is not behind the net.
In the last few games, Petrovic has been shooting more often, resulting in two goals. Next, Petrovic should remain physical with opponents in front of the net. Playing with Bischel, the other team will be extra motivated to be physical with them on the ice. Petrovic has to match that physicality to prevent easy goals and fight to get the puck out of the zone.