The Stars announced Friday that they’ve recalled defenseman Alexander Petrovic from AHL Texas. No corresponding transaction is required since the team has an open spot on the active roster and nearly $2MM in current cap space, more than enough to accommodate his league-minimum $775K cap hit.
Dallas summoned Petrovic, 32, once earlier this season to serve as injury insurance on the blue line for a few games in mid-October, but he didn’t get into game action. The 6’5″, 207-lb righty is now in his fourth season with the Stars organization, where he’s served as an alternate captain for their AHL club since day one and is off to an unusually hot start offensively, racking up three goals and six assists for nine points in 14 games to tie for the team lead in scoring among defensemen.
Once a depth mainstay on the Panthers’ NHL roster in the mid-2010s, call-ups have been few and far between for Petrovic in the last few years. He made one regular-season and seven playoff appearances for Dallas last season, marking his first NHL action since splitting 2018-19 between Florida and the Oilers.
Petrovic’s recall will likely yield an appearance or two this time, notes team radio analyst Bruce LeVine. He’s expected to replace Mathew Dumba in the lineup tonight against the Avalanche in a third-pairing role alongside Brendan Smith. The duo struggled in the Stars’ 6-2 loss to the Blackhawks on Wednesday, controlling 31.4% of expected goals at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck. This will be Dumba’s third healthy scratch of the season after signing a two-year, $7.5MM contract in free agency that looks like a rare misguided investment from Dallas general manager Jim Nill.
Petrovic’s previous recall lasted five days, so he can remain on the Stars’ roster for 25 more (or play 10 games) before he needs waivers to return to the AHL.