Esa
Lindell
D · DAL · Defensive · Elite
- PAL
- 90
- WAR
- 2.1
- Value
- 87
- PTS
- 32
2025-26№ 18 / 325
Esa Lindell (Dallas Stars) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Esa Lindell
#23D
Dallas Stars
HEIGHT : 191 cm · WEIGHT : 98 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : May 22, 1994 · Vantaa, Finland
Drafted : 2012 · DAL · round 3, pick #74
Contract : $5,250,000 · 2025-26 → 2029-30 · Two-Way Contract (Extension) · UFA · Signing bonus $2,500,000M-NTC
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Dallas Stars | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2025-26 | Dallas Stars | 82 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 20 |
| 2024-25 | Dallas Stars | 80 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 14 |
| 2023-24 | Dallas Stars | 82 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 12 |
| 2022-23 | Dallas Stars | 82 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 10 |
| 2021-22 | Dallas Stars | 76 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 12 |
| 2020-21 | Dallas Stars | 56 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 19 |
| 2019-20 | Dallas Stars | 69 | 3 | 20 | 23 | 12 |
| 2018-19 | Dallas Stars | 82 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 33 |
| 2017-18 | Dallas Stars | 80 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 24 |
| 2016-17 | Dallas Stars | 73 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 22 |
| 2015-16 | Dallas Stars | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 778 | 60 | 190 | 250 | 180 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Dallas Stars | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2024-25 | Dallas Stars | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | Dallas Stars | 19 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | Dallas Stars | 19 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 2021-22 | Dallas Stars | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | Dallas Stars | 27 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | Dallas Stars | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Playoff totals | 109 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 28 | |
Esa Lindell: our analysis
2025-26 season: 82 GP, 6 G, 26 A, 32 PTS, +30 +/-, 23:14 TOI. WAR 2.1 (18th of 325) · PAL 90, elite.
In 2025-26, Esa Lindell, 32, posts a PAL Rating of 90 out of 100 (elite), and his WAR of 2.1 ranks 18th among 325 regulars, in the top quarter.
His strengths: defense (97, among the best in the league), penalty kill (97, among the best in the league) and possession (88, among the best in the league). On the other hand, power play (5, among the weakest in the league) holds him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+6.6); his biggest cost: EV offense (-0.9).
An improvement on 2024-25, when his PAL was 85; his WAR went from 1.9 to 2.1.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 87 (very good contract) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Esa Lindell's story
Growing up in Helsinki’s development system, Lindell moved through Tikkurilan Jää-Veikot (TJV) and spent the 2011–12 season on loan with Kiekko-Vantaa before breaking into Jokerit’s lineup the next year and appearing in SM-liiga action in 2012–13. That path put him on the radar of NHL scouts and set the stage for his move across the Atlantic.
Dallas selected him in the third round, 74th overall, at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He remained in Finland to refine his game and signed a three-year entry-level agreement with the Stars on 7 May 2014. The organization loaned him back to Liiga for 2014–15, where he joined Ässät and posted a career-high 14 goals and 35 points in 57 games, the top scoring mark among Liiga defencemen, before being assigned to the Texas Stars (AHL) on 16 March 2015.
Lindell’s NHL call-up came on 18 January 2016 and he debuted on 19 January against the Los Angeles Kings. He netted his first NHL goal on 25 November 2016 in a 2–1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, in his 17th NHL game. Contract extensions followed: a two-year deal in June 2017, a six-year extension in May 2019, and a five-year contract signed on 19 September 2024, each reinforcing his long-term role in Dallas.
In February 2020 the club added formal leadership duties, naming him an alternate captain alongside Blake Comeau, with a rotation of alternate captains for home and road games. Off the ice, Lindell became part of Jokerit Helsinki’s ownership group in 2023 as the club restructured after leaving the KHL.
Internationally, he has worn the Finnish colours and earned a bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. On the ice, Lindell is known as a defenceman who can contribute at both ends—steady in his own zone while projecting offense from the back end to help his team transition.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 22:24
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:22
- SH TOI/GP
- 4:04
- Pts/GP
- 0.08
- EV points
- 1
- Hits
- 6
- Blocks
- 27
- Takeaways
- 2
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 47.8 %
- Off. zone starts
- 16.8 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
23between 10 and 34 (80% range)
- Goals
- 5
- Assists
- 18
- Games
- 76
So far: 1 pts in 12 games. The team has played 17 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.34 pts per game (last season: 0.39).
Three straight seasons of growth. Since 2018, of 97 players in that spot, 23 kept improving the next season; on average, their pace fell back to 90% of their best season.
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
Trend
Stable
- Points per game: 0.32 in 23-24, 0.39 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 85 → 90
Outlook, age included
↘ Slight declineAge 32: the age when production usually declines
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 87 %
86
High-end
- SK
- Skating
- 56
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 82
- Confidence 89 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 87
- Confidence 80 %
- DU
- Durability
- 92
- Confidence 77 %
- CK
- Checking
- 64
- Confidence 89 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 43
- Confidence 67 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 83
- Confidence 89 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 75
- Confidence 87 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 73
- Confidence 87 %
- DF
- Defense
- 93
- Confidence 85 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 91
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating56
- Top speed (35 %)35 · 69
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)0.782 · 53
- Distance /60 (20 %)13.2 · 37
- Speed consistency (15 %)34.2 · 69
ST — Strength82
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)5.563 · 78
- Body mass (50 %)0.947 · 82
EN — Endurance87
- Ice time per game (45 %)21.1 · 84
- Total ice time (20 %)1,846 · 89
- Shift length (15 %)53.5 · 90
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)19.1 · 80
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)3.817 · 88
DU — Durability92
- Share of games played (100 %)0.895 · 92
CK — Checking64
- Hits /60 (70 %)1.884 · 64
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)1.393 · 62
- Season volume (10 %)3.434 · 68
FG — Fighting43
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.651 · 43
DI — Discipline83
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.014 · 83
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.334 · 94
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.251 · 58
PA — Passing75
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.36 · 75
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.439 · 77
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.002 · 74
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)3.479 · 60
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.263 · 77
SC — Scoring73
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.207 · 74
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.172 · 68
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.292 · 77
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.109 · 76
- xG per shot (10 %)0.035 · 79
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)7.778 · 59
DF — Defense93
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.196 · 93
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.252 · 91
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.405 · 88
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.171 · 87
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.14 · 71
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)54.6 · 90
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)5.627 · 87
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience91
- Career regular-season games (65 %)94
- Career playoff games (25 %)89
- NHL seasons (10 %)84
OV — Overall86
- DF · Defense (30 %)93
- PA · Passing (22 %)75
- SK · Skating (12 %)56
- SC · Scoring (12 %)73
- EN · Endurance (9 %)87
- ST · Strength (6 %)82
- DI · Discipline (5 %)83
- CK · Checking (4 %)64
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 86 | 56 | 73 | 93 |
| 2024-25 | 87 | 66 | 75 | 86 |
| 2023-24 | 87 | 73 | 77 | 87 |
| 2022-23 | 78 | 74 | 75 | 81 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
2.1
wins above replacement
18 of 325
PAL Rating
90/ 100
Performance · Elite
22 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
87/ 100
Very good contract
5.25 M$ · expected PAL 65
ProfileDefensiveValue comes mostly from defense
- Offense
- 58
- Defense
- 99
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 56
- Creation
- 41
- Shooting
- 48
- Possession
- 88
- Defense
- 97
- Discipline
- 58
- Power play
- 5
- Penalty kill
- 97
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DAL | 2.1 | 90 | 87 | 5.25 M$ |
| 2024-25 | DAL | 1.9 | 85 | 72 | 5.80 M$ |
| 2023-24 | DAL | 1.7 | 90 | 81 | 5.80 M$ |
| 2022-23 | DAL | 1.0 | 70 | 45 | 5.80 M$ |
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
32/ 100
Below average
better than 32% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
40/ 100
Average
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
29/ 100
Below average
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 152 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 56
- Shot selection
- 67
- Penalties drawn
- 8
- Puck management
- 50
Defense
- Takeaways
- 50
- Discipline
- 84
- Safe zone exits
- 1
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
| Season | Team | IQ | Off. | Def. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DAL | 32 | 40 | 29 |
| 2024-25 | DAL | 66 | 61 | 66 |
| 2023-24 | DAL | 74 | 31 | 91 |
| 2022-23 | DAL | 50 | 5 | 92 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
2.1
wins above replacement
1.1 to 3.0 — 90% interval
18 of 325 defensemen
+11.3 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -0.9
- EV defense
- +6.6
- Power play
- -0.2
- Penalty kill
- +0.7
- Shooting
- +1.8
- Penalties
- -0.7
- Average → replacement
- +3.9
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DAL | 82 | 2.1 | 1.1 to 3.0 | 18/325 |
| 2024-25 | DAL | 78 | 1.9 | 1.2 to 2.9 | 19/314 |
| 2023-24 | DAL | 82 | 1.7 | 0.7 to 2.3 | 20/316 |
| 2022-23 | DAL | 82 | 1.0 | 0.1 to 1.7 | 48/334 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 126.4 km/h11th percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.3 km/h30th percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 222nd percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 37.8 %8th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 56.2 km45th percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 5.46 km69th percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 39.3 %11th percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 18.7 %78th percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 43.6 %11th percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 1350th percentile | 049th percentile | 0.0 %27th percentile |
| High danger | 051st percentile | 084th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 136th percentile | 073rd percentile | 0.0 %50th percentile |
| Long range | 1072nd percentile | 077th percentile | 0.0 %67th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
SJS
CBJ
WSH
CHI
COL
PIT
BUF
NSH
STLEsa Lindell: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Esa Lindell have in 2026-27?
Esa Lindell has 0 goals and 1 point (1 assist) in 12 games in 2026-27.
How old is Esa Lindell?
Esa Lindell is 32 years old: he was born on May 23, 1994.
How tall is Esa Lindell, and how much does he weigh?
Esa Lindell is 6'3" (191 cm) and weighs 216 lb (98 kg).
Where is Esa Lindell from?
Finland: Esa Lindell was born in Vantaa, Finland.
What team does Esa Lindell play for?
Esa Lindell plays for the Dallas Stars in the NHL, at D, wearing number 23.
Is Esa Lindell injured?
No: Esa Lindell is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Esa Lindell?
Esa Lindell produced 2.1 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 18th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 90 out of 100: elite for his position.
How much does Esa Lindell make?
Esa Lindell earns $5.3M for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 87 out of 100 (very good contract): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Esa Lindell's contract end?
Esa Lindell's contract runs through the 2029-30 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent. It includes a M-NTC clause.
Is Esa Lindell overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 87 out of 100 (very good contract), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Esa Lindell a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 18th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Esa Lindell getting better?
Yes: his PAL rating went from 85 in 2024-25 to 90 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Esa Lindell played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Esa Lindell has 1 point (0 goals, 1 assist).
What are Esa Lindell's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Esa Lindell has 778 games, 60 goals, 190 assists and 250 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 32 points in 82 games.
Where was Esa Lindell drafted?
Esa Lindell was drafted 74th overall (round 3) by Dallas Stars in 2012.
Is Esa Lindell better at home or on the road?
On the road: in 2026-27, he averages 0.00 points per game at home (0 in 5 games) and 0.14 on the road (1 in 7 games).
How does Esa Lindell perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Esa Lindell has 109 games and 25 points in his career. His pace (0.23 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.32).
Which player is most similar to Esa Lindell?
Nate Schmidt: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Nate Schmidt's page →Is Esa Lindell a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 23 points in 2026-27, or 0.30 points per game.
What is Esa Lindell's nationality?
Esa Lindell is Finnish. Internationally: Finland — bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
How many points is Esa Lindell projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 23 points in 76 games in 2026-27 (10 to 34 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Dallas Stars teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)