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Julius Honka

NL’s SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers Sign Julius Honka

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Former top Stars prospect Julius Honka is staying in Switzerland, with the National League’s SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers announcing they’ve secured a two-year commitment from the defender beginning next season.

Honka hasn’t played in North America since 2021, and after spending two seasons with Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League, he arrived in Switzerland in 2023. The Lakers will mark Honka’s fourth NL team in three seasons after splitting the 2023-24 campaign between SC Bern and Genève-Servette HC and signing for 2024-25 with HC Davos. They didn’t say whether Honka’s deal has an NHL out-clause, but regardless, it’s a sign that he won’t be pursuing NHL opportunities next summer after a resurgence in his game.

Honka, who Dallas drafted 14th overall a decade ago, has 20 points and a +3 rating in 33 games with Davos, putting him fifth among NL defenders. It’s not unexpected production, either. Since being cut loose by the Stars in 2021, Honka has been a top two-way threat in the European circuit. He led the SHL in goals from a defenseman with 10 in 46 games with Luleå in 2021-22, and he led the Champions Hockey League with a +14 rating with the Swedish club the following year.

The Finnish native’s brief NHL career only spanned three seasons, accumulating 87 appearances with the Stars from 2016-17 to 2018-19. He averaged a minimal 13:57 per game and recorded two goals and 11 assists for 13 points with a -7 rating. While he was frequently criticized for a lack of physicality and defensive awareness individually, the Stars always controlled possession better at even strength with Honka on the ice than without him. He also recorded 113 points in 218 AHL games during his time in the Stars organization with a -24 rating.

This year’s Rapperswil-Jona roster is home to former NHLers Pontus Åberg, Tanner Fritz, Philip Holm, Nicklas Jensen, Jacob Larsson, and Victor Rask.

NHL Prospects Moved At The 2021 KHL Trade Deadline

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The NHL’s trade deadline is still nearly three months away but in the KHL, the deadline for player movement was today.  There were several deals completed including a few involving players whose rights are held by NHL teams.  Here’s a rundown of those moves.

  • Senators RFA winger Vitali Abramov was moved from Traktor Chelyabinsk to CSKA Moscow. The 23-year-old has five career NHL games under his belt but opted to head back home in the summer.  He has 17 points in 41 KHL contests this season and his contract overseas runs through the 2022-23 season.  Ottawa retains his RFA rights through the 2024-25 season.
  • Blackhawks goaltender Ivan Nalimov is on the move from Admiral Vladivostok to Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The 27-year-old came to North America for the first time last season, getting in five games with AHL Rockford down the stretch on an AHL deal before returning to Russia this season.  The 2014 sixth-rounder has a 3.50 GAA along with a .891 SV% in 10 games this season and Chicago holds his rights indefinitely since he never signed an NHL contract and there is no transfer agreement in place between Russia and the NHL.
  • Golden Knights center prospect Ivan Morozov was dealt to HC Sochi from SKA St. Petersburg. The 21-year-old was a second-round pick (61st overall) back in 2018 but after spending all of last season in the KHL, he split this season between that league and their lower-tier VHL.  The swap should allow him to play a larger role with Sochi.  Vegas also holds Morozov’s rights indefinitely.

Other names of some note that were on the move were former Stars defenseman Julius Honka who went from Dinamo Minsk to Ak Bars Kazan, former Maple Leafs and Canadiens blueliner Rinat Valiev who went the other way in the Honka trade. Former Bruins prospect Pavel Shen was moved from HK Sochi to Admiral Vladivostok; his NHL deal was terminated back in May while former Jets winger J.C. Lipon was dealt from Sochi to Sibir Novosibirsk.

Julius Honka Signs In Sweden

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Seven years after being drafted 14th overall, it appears that Julius Honka’s time with the Dallas Stars organization is finally over. The 25-year-old defenseman has signed a two-year contract with Lulea HF in the SHL. Though the Stars could retain his restricted free agent rights this summer with a qualifying offer, Honka will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season after he turns 27.

It certainly hasn’t been a smooth ride for the Finnish defenseman. Honka was picked in the first half of the first round after an outstanding season with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL and immediately joined the Texas Stars in the AHL as a teenager. During the 2014-15 season, he scored 31 points in 68 games while also returning to the World Juniors where he had won a gold medal the year prior. It looked like the Stars had a future top-pairing defenseman on their hands, but that didn’t end up being the case.

Over the next few years, Honka eventually got a chance at the NHL, but recorded just 13 points in 87 games and was scratched more than he played. By 2019 he wanted out and ended up playing all of last season in Finland while hoping for a trade. That made it somewhat surprising when he signed a one-year, two-way deal for the 2020-21 season, returning from Europe just to play in the AHL once again. Honka had five points in 17 games for Texas this season and didn’t see a minute of game time with Dallas.

He’ll get his chance to join another organization when his rights eventually expire, but it’s hard to know what kind of NHL opportunity will be waiting for Honka at that point—or if he even wants it.

Julius Honka Clears Waivers

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Jan 21: Honka has cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Sometimes, in cases like this, clearing actually increases the trade value of an asset since it can now be assigned directly to the minor leagues. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Honka.

Jan 20: The Dallas Stars have placed Julius Honka on waivers today, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The move comes just as the Stars prepare for their first game of the season later this week and after the team started making their final cuts. The Stars have also sent Joseph Cecconi, Riley Damiani, Tye Felhaber, Ben Gleason, Adam Mascherin, Jerad Rosburg, Ryan Shea and Riley Tufte to the minor leagues.

The focus here will be placed on Honka though, given his status as a first-round pick that never panned out. The 25-year-old defenseman spent last season overseas playing in Finland but agreed to return to the Stars organization and signed a one-year, two-way deal in October. Selected 14th overall in 2014, he has played just 87 games in the NHL and none since January of 2019.

What likely frustrated Honka and led to his previous trade requests and departure to Finland, was that he hasn’t received much minor league play either. Instead, the young defenseman found himself in the press box on most nights, scratched for months at a time. His development has stagnated, though there still may be some upside left in the former Swift Current Broncos star.

For Honka, a claim would likely be the best thing for his career, given that even after this season ends he still won’t be an unrestricted free agent unless the Stars let him go. Getting out of Dallas may be the only chance he has to really play at the NHL level; if he clears tomorrow, he’ll likely head to the taxi squad or the AHL.

Dallas Stars Sign Julius Honka

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Nov 2: While he waits for the season to start in North America, Honka will now return to play in Finland. The Stars have loaned Honka to the Lahti Pelicans, where he will spend the next few months preparing for NHL training camp.

Oct 30: After a season-long hiatus, defenseman Julius Honka is back with the Dallas Stars. The team has announced a new one-year, two-way contract for Honka, who they were unable to sign last off-season. CapFriendly reports that Honka will make the minimum $700K in the NHL and $90K in the AHL.

Honka, 24, returns to Dallas after spending the 2019-20 season with JYP of Finland’s Liiga, his hometown team. The Stars and Honka could not agree to terms on a new contract last off-season, but by extending the restricted free agent a qualifying offer, the club retained his exclusive negotiating rights. The two sides returned to talks this off-season in hopes of a reunion.

Unlike fellow Finn Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers, who also spent this past season in the Liiga instead of with his NHL team, Honka did little to help boost his bargaining power with his play this year. The streaky, one-dimensional defenseman put up just modest numbers with JYP, recording 15 points in 46 games. This was good enough for only fourth among club defensemen in scoring. In fact, his younger brother, Carolina Hurricanes prospect Anttoni Honka, was JYP’s best offensive defenseman at just 20 year old.

It is still unclear whether Honka truly has the talent to stick at the NHL level. Although he was a first-round pick in 2014 and has put up big offensive totals in juniors and in the AHL, he has struggled to find consistency in Dallas. He again showed with JYP that playing against mature, physical opponents at top pro levels may be too much for an undersized and defensively deficient player. Dallas seems willing to gamble on his offensive ability with a low-risk one-year, two-way deal, but that doesn’t mean Honka will be handed a regular role with the club right away. He will have to earn that with his performance or he could find himself separated from the Stars once again.

Central Notes: Dumba, Honka, Colorado

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The Minnesota Wild have been quite aggressive in re-shaping their roster this season, which includes adding Marcus Johansson, Nick Bonino, Nick Bjugstadt and Cam Talbot, while also re-signing a number of key free agents and eliminating significant cap space. However, one move that hasn’t happened yet was the expected trade of defenseman Matt Dumba.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that it might be a while before a trade for the blueliner is found. This is not the best time to find a trade partner with few teams ready to give Minnesota a significant return and a number of previously interested teams have already filled their need on defense. Russo suggests that one team that might still be interested is the Florida Panthers, who still need help on defense and have the prospects to make a deal happen.

Russo adds that he heard that Minnesota tried to pry Florida’s first-round pick from this year’s draft, who the Panthers used to select Anton Lundell, as part of a package for Dumba, which Florida rejected, but mainly because they wanted Lundell. Regardless, the Wild need to stay patient and hope it can find a match with Florida or any other team ready to get into the running.

  • The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that Dallas Stars first-round pick Julius Honka, who didn’t sign as a restricted free-agent last summer and spent the season playing in Finland, is interested in returning to Dallas next season. The 24-year-old Honka’s rights are owned by the Stars until he turns 27, but despite demanding a trade last summer, he was forced to play in the Liiga and wasn’t necessarily a standout player there. Honka has played 87 career NHL games, but never was able to establish himself into the Stars’ defensive lineup. If he does opt to sign what would likely be a mininum-salaried deal, Honka would have to beat out a number of blueliners to get into the lineup, including Mark Pysyk, Taylor Fedun, Thomas Harley, Joel Hanley and Stephen Johns (assuming he returns to the team).
  • Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater (subscription required) writes that if the NHL is required to set up divisional bubbles next season as it is starting to look more and more likely that getting fans in the stands is looking less and less likely, then Colorado could be a likely candidate to host teams. In fact, Dater writes that he’s heard that the Pepsi Center, the Avalanche’s arena, is a leading candidate to be a host-city if the NHL opts to go that route, although it’s too soon to make a decision.

Snapshots: Elliott, Honka, Vancouver UFAs

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The Flyers expect backup goaltender Brian Elliott to return next season, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The veteran has spent three years in Philadelphia with the last two serving as the understudy to Carter Hart.  Elliott saw his save percentage dip for the fourth straight season as it went from .907 to .899 although his goals against average actually improved slightly, from 2.96 to 2.87.

Those numbers shouldn’t have him in line for a big raise on the $2MM he received this season which would fit in well to the Flyers’ salary structure which has them with nearly $72MM in commitments already for 2020-21 and several roster spots to fill with that remaining cap room.  One thing that Philadelphia could do is make Elliott’s deal incentive-laden which he’s now eligible for having turned 35 back in April as long as he signs for one year.  That would allow them some extra flexibility with bonus overages being able to be charged on the cap in 2021-22 if needed and ensure that a working tandem remains intact.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Stars plan to sit down with defenseman Julius Honka at the end of the playoffs to discuss his future, reports Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. He asked for a trade last summer but it never materialized so instead, he played in Finland and had 15 points in 46 games with JYP of the SM-liiga.  Honka’s goal remains to return to the NHL so as of yet, he hasn’t signed a deal overseas and with those leagues starting up, rosters are getting filled quickly.  The 24-year-old remains a restricted free agent without salary arbitration rights.
  • The Canucks haven’t held recent contract talks with pending UFA defenseman Chris Tanev, relays Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. GM Jim Benning noted that there were frequent discussions during the pandemic break but nothing since play resumed or their elimination from the postseason.  Tanev has made it known that he’d like to remain in Vancouver but will almost certainly need to take a dip from his $4.45MM AAV to do so.
  • Another player that would like to remain with the Canucks is winger Tyler Toffoli who told reporters, including NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley, that his number one priority is to stay with Vancouver. He joined the team in advance of the trade deadline from Los Angeles and made an immediate impact, collecting 10 points in as many games before the pandemic hit while he chipped in with four more in seven playoff contests despite missing time with a high ankle sprain.  Toffoli had a cap hit of $4.6MM on his most recent deal and could get more than that on the open market.

Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Stars

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Dallas Stars.

The Stars look to have a lock on a playoff spot as they hold one of the top three records in the Central Division this season and with the next closest team seven points behind, it’s unlikely that Dallas is in danger of falling out of the playoff race. However, they are in quite the battle with both the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues for the Central Division lead and could gain a distinct advantage if they could come out on top of the division with the chance to face off against a wild card team as opposed to playing one of those two teams, which is going to make the Stars as buyers.

Record

35-20-6, third in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$4.75MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: DAL 1st, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th
2021: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th

Trade Chips

Perhaps the biggest problem for the Stars is that their assets don’t match those of the Colorado Avalanche or even St. Louis. The Stars were quite active a year ago when they acquired Mats Zuccarello and Ben Lovejoy at the trade deadline, which cost them several draft picks and traded several other picks earlier than that, which leaves the team short a second and third-round pick for this coming draft and it would seem unlikely the team would trade their first-rounder this year. However, the team does have its full complement of picks for the 2021 season, so Dallas has some picks available if it wants to add a player a the deadline.

Another trade chip, although not a big one, might be Julius Honka, whose rights still belong to the Dallas Stars even though he is playing the season in Finland with Jyp HT Jyvaskyla in the Liiga. The 24-year-old was a highly-touted first-round pick in 2014, but failed to earn a full-time role with the Stars in 87 NHL games and finally requested a trade. However, few teams showed interest this past summer and Honka opted to sign overseas. He has four goals and 15 points in 38 contests in the Liiga and could have generated enough interest for a team to make an offer on him.

The team is highly unlikely to move their top prospects in forward Jason Robertson, defenseman Thomas Harley and goaltender Jake Oettinger. However, the team has some secondary prospects, including Ty Delandrea, Ben Gleason, Oskar Back and Adam Mascherin.

Five Players To Watch For: F Oskar Back, F Ty Delandrea, D Ben Gleason, D Julius Honka, F Corey Perry.

Team Needs

1) Top-Nine Forward: The Stars are always in need of scoring that can add to the team’s offense, but the real question is whether the team has the assets, or more importantly, is willing to spend what it might take to go out and get a top player like it did a year ago. However, with random injuries and the team trying hard to have three equal lines at the top, the team could use a goal scorer, who can add to the team. However, with the high cost so far for top players, it might seem unlikely that general manager Jim Nill pulls the trigger.

2) Forward Depth: It’s far more likely that Dallas is a top candidate to go out and add some depth to their bottom-six, which could be quite a bit cheaper than for the team. Throw in the fact that there is little cap room with which to maneuver on this roster and this is the more likely scenario, picking up a veteran that can help out and serve as a replacement if there are any other significant injuries in the stretch run.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Kings, Moore, Honka

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Los Angeles Kings prospects Rasmus Kupari and Tobias Bjornfot were both named to their respective country’s World Junior rosters last week, but seeing as both are under contract and playing in the AHL, the duo had to officially be loaned by the Kings to participate. That permission officially came down today, as L.A. announced that Kupari would play for Finland and Bjornfot would play for Sweden in the upcoming WJC tournament. Bjornfot, a first-round pick back in June, played in three games with the Kings earlier this season and has eight points in 20 games with the Ontario Reign. The athletic defenseman joins an impressive unit on the blue line for Sweden at the WJC. Kupari, L.A.’s top pick two years ago, played for the Gold Medal-winning Finnish entry in last year’s WJC, recording five points in seven games, and overall enjoyed a strong season in his native country. However, his first season in North America has gotten off to a slow start, with just seven points in 24 AHL games for the talented forward. While there was no indication in the Kings’ release, Kupari could be a candidate to remain overseas following the tournament. But first he will join another star-studded Finnish roster in pursuit of a repeat title.

  • With the Boston Bruins playing the Washington Capitals tonight in the first of a back-to-back set that includes a match-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, Connor Clifton has drawn back into the lineup. The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont reports that John Moore, who just recently made his season debut following off-season shoulder surgery, will be eased back into regular action, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy. Splitting back-to-backs or occasional nights off could become commonplace for the veteran defender. The Bruins are more cognizant than most when it comes to the value of healthy defense, as they struggled with continuous injury issues on the back end last season and are still waiting on the return of Kevan Miller. Cassidy recently stated that the Bruins are a better team with Moore active, even though it causes a surplus of lefties in the lineup, but that could mean he prioritizes keeping Moore healthy long-term rather than playing him in every game and risking re-injury to his damaged shoulder. Fortunately, the team has the luxury of young Clifton, who played well in Moore’s stead to begin the year and is more than deserving of spot starts.
  • Before the calendar flipped to December, making him ineligible to play in the NHL this season, it seems the trade market for unsigned Dallas Stars RFA defenseman Julius Honka was not as dead as it seemed. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the Carolina Hurricanes were the team with the most interest in the enigmatic rearguard and were in heavy pursuit. However, the team ultimately decided that they were not willing to meet the Stars’ demand of draft picks or young, unsigned prospects rather than a fellow AHL prospect. Ironically, the Hurricanes drafted Honka’s younger brother, Anttoni, in the third round this past year, which could keep them interested in the elder Honka this off-season.

 

Five Key Stories: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19

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With the quarter pole of the season in the rear view mirror, teams have had plenty of time to evaluate their rosters and early performances and changes are starting to be made. That has been the overarching story of the week, as some clubs made moves – both long- and short-term – while others are preparing to do so.

Flames Fire Bill Peters: Well, not technically. Calgary accepted the resignation of their head coach, who was mired in scandal following an investigation into allegations of racist comments made while serving as an AHL head coach in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and further accusations of physical abuse while head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. The league will continue its investigation, but Peters days as an NHL coach are likely over regardless. While the veteran coach offered an apology for the incident in Rockford, the victim of the attack, Akim Aliu, called it “misleading, insincere and concerning”, which was likely the nail in his coffin. Geoff Ward takes over as interim head coach for the Flames, an under-performing team that had enough concerns of their own without dealing with off-ice controversy.

Bruins Extend Coyle And Wagner: The league-leading Boston Bruins signed a pair of local products to contract extensions, inking 2019 trade acquisition Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $31.5MM deal and 2018 free agent addition Chris Wagner to a three-year, $4.05MM deal. The 27-year-old Coyle, who won over the home crowd with a dominant playoff run last year, is now in place to likely succeed David Krejci and/or Patrice Bergeron as a top-six center for the Bruins, unless the versatile forward shifts to the right wing long-term instead. Meanwhile, the Bruins have always shown a willingness to invest in their fourth line and clearly feel Wagner can continue to be an effective checker and penalty killer for years to come. The team can now solely turn their attention to re-signing Torey Krug with these deals complete.

New Jersey Willing To Move Hall: The 2019-20 season has not gone as planned for the New Jersey Devils, who added considerable talent this off-season but have yet to see the on-ice impact. As a result, 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, the top impending free agent in this summer’s class, has become the most talked-about name on the trade market. The team is officially listening to offers, with most pundits expecting that he will be traded and perhaps sooner rather than later. Hall has had the misfortune of never playing for a true contender thus far in his career, but could wind up participating in a playoff run this year as a highly sought-after rental target. His former team, the Edmonton Oilers, are considered a possible landing spot, as are the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and defending champion St. Louis Blues. More teams are sure to be in the running as the Hall sweepstakes heat up.

Dumoulin Out Eight Weeks: The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered yet another injury blow on Saturday as defenseman Brian Dumoulin sustained an ankle injury that required surgery and will leave him sidelined for eight weeks. The Penguins lead the NHL in man-games lost this year and the loss of Dumoulin is a major blow. The underrated defenseman is one of the premier shutdown defenders in the league and allows for pair mate Kris Letang to truly play his game. With Justin Schultz already out, not to mention Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad, and Erik Gudbranson recently traded, Pittsburgh will be shorthanded on the blue line for a while.

Also in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost dynamic defenseman Zach Werenski to an upper-body injury that will keep him out of action for at least four weeks.

Puljujarvi, Honka Not Playing This Season: The December 1 5:00PM ET deadline came and went and restricted free agents Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers and Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars had not been signed. As a result, neither young Finn can play in the NHL this year. Both the Oilers and Stars have been trying to find a trade partner for their disgruntled young players, but to no avail. Neither team was willing to give their RFA away, even if that meant potentially not being able to trade them until the off-season. Both Puljujarvi and Honka have yet to live up to expectations in the NHL, but are playing well in Finland this season. This is likely not the last we’ve seen of either player in North America.

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