In what should have been a golden opportunity to prove himself to the Stars organization, defenseman Julius Honka has not claimed a solid spot in the Dallas lineup and will be a healthy scratch Friday night against the Senators.
With the Stars' defensive corps decimated by injuries (four NHL defensemen are hurt), Honka was in line for increased minutes. He was supposed to be playing around 20 minutes a night and potentially earn power-play time with John Klingberg on the shelf. As AHL defensemen cycled through the lineup, Honka could show the tools and promise that made him a first-round pick in 2014.