ESA LINDELL - Defenseman - 25 - $5.80MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2025-2026
LAST UPDATED 8/18/19
Now a staple of the Dallas defense corps, Esa Lindell has been all you could ask for from a former third round pick. After paying his dues in SM-Liiga and the AHL, Esa Lindell broke into the NHL in 2016-17, and hasn't looked back since. He's steadily earned the trust of his coaches and teammates, and is now firmly entrenched as one of Dallas' most heavily relied upon defensemen. Lindell now plays nearly 25 minutes a game and gets time on the power play and penalty kill, albeit with mixed results. Lindell is a steady defensemen, he doesn't exactly have many elite tools. He has above-average size and he's a fine skater, but he doesn't have one trait that sets him apart. He can produce decently with good players on the ice alongside him, but he's not an offensive play driver by himself. Defensively, Lindell is a bit more self sufficient, as his hockey IQ and size allows him to effectively kill chances and stay on top of opponents. He won't win a Norris for his defensive efforts, but his abilities are firmly above-average on that end of the ice. His lack of a one true elite trait does mean that Lindell is quite well-rounded, though, and his ability to be at least average in so many facets of the game makes him an incredibly versatile player. Lindell's versatility is what allows him to fit in on any pairing and in any situation and not look out of place, and there's value in that. While he won't be the engine of a PP or anchor a PK, he'll be able to capably play minutes on both of those units whereas other defensemen would be an outright liability. That's an incredibly valuable role to play on a team, and it's what makes Lindell a very effective #3 defenseman at the NHL level, perfect filler for a second pairing but not quite capable of anchoring that second pairing with a weaker partner, as a #2 would.
Now a staple of the Dallas defense corps, Esa Lindell has been all you could ask for from a former third round pick. After paying his dues in SM-Liiga and the AHL, Esa Lindell broke into the NHL in 2016-17, and hasn't looked back since. He's steadily earned the trust of his coaches and teammates, and is now firmly entrenched as one of Dallas' most heavily relied upon defensemen. Lindell now plays nearly 25 minutes a game and gets time on the power play and penalty kill, albeit with mixed results. Lindell is a steady defensemen, he doesn't exactly have many elite tools. He has above-average size and he's a fine skater, but he doesn't have one trait that sets him apart. He can produce decently with good players on the ice alongside him, but he's not an offensive play driver by himself. Defensively, Lindell is a bit more self sufficient, as his hockey IQ and size allows him to effectively kill chances and stay on top of opponents. He won't win a Norris for his defensive efforts, but his abilities are firmly above-average on that end of the ice. His lack of a one true elite trait does mean that Lindell is quite well-rounded, though, and his ability to be at least average in so many facets of the game makes him an incredibly versatile player. Lindell's versatility is what allows him to fit in on any pairing and in any situation and not look out of place, and there's value in that. While he won't be the engine of a PP or anchor a PK, he'll be able to capably play minutes on both of those units whereas other defensemen would be an outright liability. That's an incredibly valuable role to play on a team, and it's what makes Lindell a very effective #3 defenseman at the NHL level, perfect filler for a second pairing but not quite capable of anchoring that second pairing with a weaker partner, as a #2 would.
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