Lindell signs 5-year, $26.25 million contract with Stars

Esa Lindell signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract with the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. It has an average annual value of $5.25 million and begins next season.

The 30-year-old defenseman is entering the final season of a six-year, $34.8 million contract he signed with the Stars on May 16, 2019, and could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Lindell had 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) and was plus-17 playing all 82 regular-season games for the Stars last season. He was third on the team in ice time per game (20:28), behind Thomas Harley (21:01) and Miro Heiskanen (24:32), and led Dallas in blocked shots (162). He ranked second in the NHL in short-handed ice time per game (3:32) behind Jared Spurgeon of the Minnesota Wild (3:46).

"I'm super excited to stay here for another five years," Lindell said. "Kind of the sooner the better (with the contract). Everything worked out smoothly. ... Me and my family, we love the city, the organization, the fans. I think everything's so good here and obviously we have a chance to win, also something that was a big deal in this part. I wanted to stay here. I'm super excited for the season ahead.

“I feel like it just shows how I felt and how they felt. For myself, all the time, easy first choice was to stay here. I wanted to stay here all the time.”

Later Tuesday, Harley signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Stars. The 23-year-old, who was a restricted free agent, led Dallas defensemen with 15 goals last season and was second with 32 assists and 47 points behind Heiskanen (45 assists, 54 points).

Selected by Dallas in the third round (No. 74) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Lindell has 191 points (49 goals, 142 assists) in 604 regular-season games, and 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 85 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He had five points (three goals, two assists) in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season to help the Stars advance to the Western Conference Final for the second straight season.

"Esa is a stalwart presence on our blue line and has become a player that can be trusted in all situations," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "He is a proven penalty killer who logs some of the toughest minutes and defensive assignments. We are excited to have him locked in as part of our defensive core for an additional five seasons.

Lindell said he was appreciative of Nill's assessment.

“It’s a privilege to hear those words," Lindell said. "Kind of shows how I feel. I maybe need to be more vocal, but I’ve always felt [my leadership is] how I play, how I work out. Kind of lead by example. [My English] is not perfect, but the guys don’t care about that.”

Lindell, along with Heiskanen, were among the first six players named to the Finland team for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. The tournament is scheduled for Feb. 12-20 at TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal.

Selected by Dallas in the first round (No. 18) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Harley has 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 119 NHL games and 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in 39 playoff games. He played an NHL career-high 79 games last season after playing a majority of the 2022-23 season with Texas of the American Hockey League (66 games).

"Thomas is one of the League’s top young defensemen,” Nill said. “His performance last season was a testament to the way that he has worked on and off the ice to become a better player. We are looking forward to his continued growth and helping anchor our blueline for many years to come.”

The Stars open the regular season at the Nashville Predators on Oct. 10.

NHL.com independent correspondent Taylor Baird contributed to this report