Dallas Stars sign Esa Lindell to two-year, $4.4 million contract extension

The Dallas Stars have signed restricted free agent Esa Lindell to a two-year, $4.4 million contract extension.

It’s a nice raise and a bridge deal of sorts for a player that carried a cap hit of $745,833 last season and served most of the 2016-17 season on the top defensive pairing next to John Klingberg.

The Stars also announced that they had signed RFA Mark McNeill to a one-year contract extension (cash terms were not disclosed). McNeill joined the Stars orgnization last season in a trade for Johnny Oduya and played one NHL game as an injury call up with Dallas.

The Stars still have notable RFAs to sign in Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie, Jamie Oleksiak, and Patrik Nemeth. It’s expected that all four players will be given qualifying offers today, which allows the Stars to retain their negotiating rights.

(Expect qualifying offers to be announced at some point this afternoon).

Here is the official release on Lindell:

FRISCO, Texas – Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has signed defenseman Esa Lindell to a two-year, $4.4-million contract extension.

Lindell, 23, posted 18 points (6-12=18) in 73 games played for Dallas during the 2016-17 regular season, his first full season in the NHL. He finished second on the team by averaging 21:52 of time on ice per game and his +8 plus/minus rating finished third. Additionally, he finished second on the team with 119 blocked shots and tied for fifth with 93 hits.

In his career, Lindell has played 77 regular-season games over the span of two seasons with Dallas and has posted 18 points (6-12=18). The blueliner has spent parts of each of his past three seasons playing for Dallas’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars. In 80 games played with Texas, he has tallied 44 points (14-30=44).

“Esa displayed great composure during his first season in the NHL and we look forward to his continued development as a top player on our defense,” said Nill.

Lindell has represented Finland on a number of occasions, including the 2014 World Junior Championship, where he helped Finland win gold, the 2015 World Championship, where he was named one of Finland’s top three players, and the 2016 World Championship, where Finland won silver.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound native of Vantaa, Finland was originally selected by Dallas in the third round (74th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.