RD Julius Honka (2014, 14th, DAL)

[BB88]

He was absolutely incredible last night even though Finland lost. I don't understand why they didn't give him the "player of the game" title. His skating skills are stunning !

Honka is dancing on the ice, he can do whatever he wants with the puck with his skating skills.

Hopefully he gets his defense to good enough level to be a big minute player in the NHL.

 

[Keep Sorokin Me Babe]

But I thought Dallas really screwed up picking him over Larkin?

 

[Gsus]

But I thought Dallas really screwed up picking him over Larkin?

Well I think Dallas needs good Dmen right now, so not really. Larkin had a great rookie year, disappointing sophomore year. Honka is yet to prove himself in the NHL, but he looks great out there. I don't think anyone has screwed up anything in this case yet.

 

[King In The North]

But I thought Dallas really screwed up picking him over Larkin?

Both are likely to end up as steals.

 

[dechire]

His skating is incredible but he hasn't really shown it in the NHL yet. Once he gets adjusted and confident I think he's going to blow people away. I feel like he was slightly mishandled last year since he should have been called up ages before he actually was and gotten more experience than he did but with all the changes in Dallas I'd expect him to be handled better next season.

 

[linusandvarlamov]

I agree. His skating, especially his edgework, are phenomenal. I'm biased as a Stars fan, but I really dont see a reason why he wouldn't be right up there with McAvoy and Chabot in terms of top D prospect yet to fully "break in".

I seriously think he'll be every bit just as good as McAvoy or Chabot. The show he put on last night makes me believe his breakout season will be with Stars in 17-18. Give him an 82 game season and watch him rack up the points and burn the barn .

I'm so lucky and happy to have seen him in a stadium for three full games (but especially lucky to have seen him do what he did last night). I'll be keeping a close eye on him. In retrospect I wish I had bought a few more tickets to Finland games just to watch him a little more.

With what I saw him do last night he has already become one of my favorite defensive prospects.

You Stars fans have a gem ! What kind of points total do you think he can get to if he plays an 82 game season ?

 

[BusQuets]

His skating is incredible but he hasn't really shown it in the NHL yet. Once he gets adjusted and confident I think he's going to blow people away. I feel like he was slightly mishandled last year since he should have been called up ages before he actually was and gotten more experience than he did but with all the changes in Dallas I'd expect him to be handled better next season.

 

[oconnor9sean]

I seriously think he'll be every bit just as good as McAvoy or Chabot. The show he put on last night makes me believe his breakout season will be with Stars in 17-18. Give him an 82 game season and watch him rack up the points and burn the barn .

I'm so lucky and happy to have seen him in a stadium for three full games (but especially lucky to have seen him do what he did last night). I'll be keeping a close eye on him. In retrospect I wish I had bought a few more tickets to Finland games just to watch him a little more.

With what I saw him do last night he has already become one of my favorite defensive prospects.

You Stars fans have a gem ! What kind of points total do you think he can get to if he plays an 82 game season ?

It'll be tough to estimate point totals this offseason under a new coaching staff. If we still had Ruff, I'd say he would be between 38-50 points next year. However, I have no clue how that'll work under Hitchcock. He's going to kill it on the PP, where Hitch's teams are usually very, very good.

My guess would be around 40-42 pts if he plays in 82 games.

This was probably my favorite Stars shift all season. Honka dominated it.

 

[WhatWhat]

They're more hyped since they're a few years younger. Honka has been going under the radar since he was drafted, I can see that changing next year.

Hopefully he slides into our top 4 sooner than later and solidifies our right side. Starting with Kling-John-Honka. Until Honka can over take Johns (probably only takes a couple weeks) gives us a right side that we could lock down for the next 10 ish years

 

[WhatWhat]

I seriously think he'll be every bit just as good as McAvoy or Chabot. The show he put on last night makes me believe his breakout season will be with Stars in 17-18. Give him an 82 game season and watch him rack up the points and burn the barn .

I'm so lucky and happy to have seen him in a stadium for three full games (but especially lucky to have seen him do what he did last night). I'll be keeping a close eye on him. In retrospect I wish I had bought a few more tickets to Finland games just to watch him a little more.

With what I saw him do last night he has already become one of my favorite defensive prospects.

You Stars fans have a gem ! What kind of points total do you think he can get to if he plays an 82 game season ?

It will be interesting to see what we do on the PP since that will affect his point total a bunch. He seems like he can 100% be the anchor for a 1st unit PP but we have Klingberg who is already near elite at that.

Makes me wonder if we switch our 1st PP to go back to 2D and run

Seguin - Spezza - Benn

Honka - Klingberg


As a first unit

 

[DoubleGold]

I went to the same school as him. He skated like an adult when he was a teenager. Glad to see him succeed.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

I feel like he has elite potential.

 

[linusandvarlamov]

I feel like he has elite potential.

He does.

My eyes were glued to him every single time he came onto the ice in Finland's Preliminary matches. He really is something special ! I think he'll become a fan favorite in Dallas.

 

[93Crazed101]

I think he'll become a fan favorite in Dallas.

Already is.

 

[Patrik Barkov]

I went to the same school as him. He skated like an adult when he was a teenager. Glad to see him succeed.

Norssi?

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

I'm sceptical about him having "elite" potential = a number #1 dman. His progression has been solid in the AHL, but not ground breaking. The obvious tools are there, but he hasn't put them in together yet so to speak. More of a safer projection is a #3 imo.

 

[BB88]

I'm sceptical about him having "elite" potential = a number #1 dman. His progression has been solid in the AHL, but not ground breaking. The obvious tools are there, but he hasn't put them in together yet so to speak. More of a safer projection is a #3 imo.

You can be elite offensive player/puck mover without being elite defenseman.

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

You can be elite offensive player/puck mover without being elite defenseman.

Yeah, but when a defender is claimed to have "elite" potential, I think of a number #1 dman. Not sure if the poster meant it by that, but I disagreed. Honka is surely fun to watch with his skating and puck moving skills. Hoping he ends up as a slightly better version of Vatanen.

 

[Gsus]

Yeah, but when a defender is claimed to have "elite" potential, I think of a number #1 dman. Not sure if the poster meant it by that, but I disagreed. Honka is surely fun to watch with his skating and puck moving skills. Hoping he ends up as a slightly better version of Vatanen.

We'll never know how he develops. Think of a Karlsson like path. He was elite offensively early on, but has developed a good two way game. I hope that Honka would put up 50+ points while playing good defence some day. Both have in common great skating and great puck skills.

 

[BB88]

Yeah, but when a defender is claimed to have "elite" potential, I think of a number #1 dman. Not sure if the poster meant it by that, but I disagreed. Honka is surely fun to watch with his skating and puck moving skills. Hoping he ends up as a slightly better version of Vatanen.

I don't see a franchise D-man, the size/strenght just won't be there.

But could see 50 point seasons with elite transition game. His skating gives him the edge over Vats.

 

[oconnor9sean]

I don't see a franchise D-man, the size/strenght just won't be there.

But could see 50 point seasons with elite transition game. His skating gives him the edge over Vats.

I think that with the way the game is changing, the concept that a guy has to be 6'3" 225 lbs to be considered a #1D is antiquated.

 

[ijuka]

I don't see a franchise D-man, the size/strenght just won't be there.

But could see 50 point seasons with elite transition game. His skating gives him the edge over Vats.

Because Karlsson is such a huge guy.

Puck-moving defensemen don't need to be massive, really.

 

[BB88]

I think that with the way the game is changing, the concept that a guy has to be 6'3" 225 lbs to be considered a #1D is antiquated.

I understand that very well,

Because Karlsson is such a huge guy.

Puck-moving defensemen don't need to be massive, really.

but I still don't think Honka is a guy I'd want to face top competition.

I'm excited to see him with Hitch.

Heiskanen is about the same size and with him I feel more comfortable as #1D hopefull.

 

[Killerjas]

Dallas fans, can you explain what happened to him? Why did he not develop into a NHL defenseman? What were his weaknesses?

Would love to know what went wrong.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Dallas fans, can you explain what happened to him? Why did he not develop into a NHL defenseman? What were his weaknesses?

Would love to know what went wrong.

I feel like... his strengths were a bit more on the offensive side... and as an undersized offensive D there was an understandable desire for him to work on his defensive game... and to at least some extent he did buy into doing that... but possibly never accomplished it to the extent that would have made him a viable NHL option?

He might have benefited from a little more slack and opportunity to be creative, but... playing defense in the NHL is also not easy, and it may have ultimately been a failure even if he had been granted somewhat looser rein?