Dallas Stars fans had reason to cheer when Julius Honka made the team’s 2017-18 opening-night roster. The talented defenseman, still just 21 years old, already had nearly 200 AHL games under his belt, and his intense and galvanizing style of play had helped make him the Stars’ No. 1 prospect.
Now he’s found himself in Big D with the big team still carrying eight defensemen – although this particular experiment appears to be winding down, as indicated by GM Jim Nill’s tough choice to waive Patrik Nemeth (who now plays in the top 4 with the Colorado Avalanche).