Dallas Stars defenseman Julius Honka and forward Jamie Benn are both day-to-day with upper body injuries.
Here’s coach Jim Montgomery on winning in the third, Miro Heiskanen, and updates on Jamie Benn and Julius Honka.https://t.co/DvcQ5yht7e
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) January 3, 2019
Jamie Benn and Julius Honka both suffer Upper-Body Injuries
Benn left the game after taking a late hit from New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood early in the second period. Benn did score his 17th goal of the season before leaving the game. Honka left the game as well with an upper-body injury but it is unclear how the injury occurred.
So far this season, Benn has scored 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points to go along with 32 minutes in penalties in 41 games. His possession numbers were 50.3 percent Corsi-For and a relative Corsi of +4.3.
Benn has spent his entire 10-year career with the Dallas Stars. He has 271 goals and 357 assists for 628 career points in 707 career NHL games. He was originally drafted by the Stars in the fifth round, 129th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Julius Honka who has four assists in 23 games this season is also considered day-to-day after leaving Wednesday Night’s game.
What This Means for the Future
The Stars lineup will take a big hit with Benn out of the lineup. Benn is one of the key scorers and playmakers on the Stars team this season. He currently leads the team with 16 goals on the season. Mattias Janmark will move up to the first line during Benn’s absence.
Honka who is a bottom six defensemen has not done much putting up only four assists in 26 games this season. Connor Carrick will likely fill in for Honka on the third pairing if Honka misses any time. Honka and Carrick have split time on the third pairing while Marc Methot is out with a lower-body injury.
Main Photo: OTTAWA, ON – MARCH 16: Dallas Stars Left Wing Jamie Benn (14) skates during the third period of the NHL game between the Ottawa Senators and the Dallas Stars on March 16, 2018 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
