Stars' Honka signs deal in Finnish league with opt-out clause

Disgruntled Dallas Stars defenseman Julius Honka has signed with JYP Jyvaskyla of the Finnish league, the team announced Thursday.

Honka is a restricted free agent, and his Finnish deal includes an opt-out clause that runs until Dec. 1 - the deadline for RFAs to sign an NHL contract this season.

Dallas drafted Honka 14th overall in 2014, but despite a promising skill set, he's yet to establish a consistent role on the blue line. Honka only appeared in 29 games with Dallas last season, and he was a healthy scratch for the club's final 35 contests and its entire playoff run.

However, he's put up strong underlying numbers during his stints in the big leagues, and he's produced multiple prolific offensive campaigns with the AHL's Texas Stars.

Honka asked the Stars for a trade in September The Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes were among the teams that reportedly showed interest in acquiring the 23-year-old right-handed shot.

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