Former Stars 1st-rounder Honka asks for trade

Dallas Stars defenseman Julius Honka is asking for a trade, general manager Jim Nill told reporters on Friday, including Mike Heika from the team's website.

The Stars selected Honka 14th overall in the 2014 draft. As a right-handed blue-liner with superb skating and puck-moving abilities, he possesses many qualities teams could covet. However, he's been unable to carve out a full-time role in Dallas, producing only 13 points in 87 career games over three seasons.

His underlying numbers have still been impressive though:

#FreeHonks pic.twitter.com/eJHuYkkrAw

- Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) September 13, 2019

Additionally, Honka ranks in the 94th percentile in exiting the defensive zone with the puck on a per-60 minute basis, according to Corey Sznajder. The Stars have controlled 52.1% of the shot attempts and 54.3% of the expected goals with Honka on the ice at five-on-five throughout his career, notes Natural Stat Trick.

Honka was scratched for the final 35 games of the 2018-19 regular season, and he didn't appear in the playoffs. He was reportedly placed on the trade block in early July.

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