Name: Esa Lindell

Number: 23

Age: 30

Birthplace: Vantaa, Finland

Height/Weight: 6-3, 216

2023-24 stats: 5 goals, 21 assists for 26 points in 82 games

Contract: In sixth year of six-year deal that has a salary cap hit of $5.8 million

Performance evaluation: Esa Lindell is wonderfully consistent. He is the heartbeat of the Stars’ team defense and has helped Dallas rank third in goals against average (2.75) since he started his career full time in 2016. Last season was a typical Lindell campaign, as he was plus-17, averaged 20:28 and contributed 26 points offensively. He was second in the NHL in shorthanded time on ice at 3:32 per game and continues to be one of the league leaders in that category. Lindell is not a big hitter, finishing eighth on the team with 74, but he leads the Stars in blocked shots at 162, and continues to be a force late in games, and when the opposition’s best players are on the ice. He pushed his time on ice to 24:45 in the playoffs, second on the team behind Miro Heiskanen.

Expectations for 2024-25: Lindell is an incredibly important part of what the Stars do, and that has been seen through several different coaching staff. He has earned the trust of the bench and is the one player who can give Heiskanen rest, so his role is pretty crucial. He also is one of the best penalty killers in the league and he helps the Stars excel in that area on a regular basis. That said, he has seen his role decrease over the years. After playing 24:20 and scoring 32 points in 2018-19, he was down to 20:28 and 26 points last season. He also is routinely one of the lowest on the team in SAT (shot attempt differential), a measurement for puck possession. He was at 50.2 percent last season, and he is at 48.4 percent for his career. Part of that issue is the fact he is out against the other team’s best players and part of that is he is out with his team’s own better defensive players. Still, one might like him to balance those numbers a little more by playing in the offensive end of the ice. Lindell’s role will be interesting this upcoming season. After pairing with Chris Tanev down the stretch last season, is he a natural to play beside Matt Dumba now? Or could he move up next to Heiskanen or even play the right side on a pair with Thomas Harley? There are a lot of options on the blue line, the guess is the Stars will be shuffling a great deal. Lindell also needs a new contract before next summer. He has become a real leader, especially among the Finns, and that will be even more clear when the team travels to Finland. Do the Stars jump in with a long-term extension for the 30-year-old or simply wait it out until next summer?

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @MikeHeika.