Star Lock Down Key Defender With New Deal

The Dallas Stars are keeping a key piece of their blue line around for the long haul.

Jan 21, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) takes a shot against the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Dallas Stars have signed defenseman Esa Lindell to a five-year contract extension, NHL insider Kevin Weekes reports.

According to PuckPedia, it's a five-year, $26.25 million extension ($5.25 million AAV) that keeps Lindell in Dallas through 2030. The 30-year-old defenseman is entering the final year of a six-year, $34.8 million deal ($5.8 million AAV) he signed in 2019, so this extension stops him from hitting free agency last year.

A native of Vantaa, Finland, Lindell has been a key piece of the Stars' blue line for several years. In 604 career games, he's scored 49 goals and 191 points while averaging just over 22 minutes of ice time. Last season, he played all 82 games and scored five goals and 26 points.

Lindell is mostly a defensive player, though, and he does it well both at even strength and on the penalty kill. Throughout his career, he's blocked 1,100 shots and thrown 807 hits. The 6-3, 220-pound blue-liner also manages to avoid penalties, and even finished in the top 25 of Lady Byng Trophy voting in each of the past three seasons.

Lindell has also represented Finland several times on an international stage, most recently winning gold at the 2022 IIHF World Championships in his home country.

The Stars still have just over $6.2 million in cap space on the eve of training camp, and they'll need a good chunk of it. Restricted free agent defenseman Thomas Harley, who scored 15 goals and 47 points in his first full NHL season, remains without a deal. Dallas obviously wants to keep the rising defenseman around, and hopes to strike a deal very soon.

For now, though, locking up a great shutdown defenseman for the long haul is a good bit of work by general manager Jim Nill and co.

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