(Frisco) The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Esa Lundell to a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension on Tuesday.
Lindell will be in the final year of his current six-year, $34.8 million deal this season and could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Instead, he agreed to a new deal that will pay him an average of $5.25 million per season.
Last season, his 26 points, including five goals, were his best offensive output since his 32 points in 2018-19. He also led the Stars with 162 blocked shots, playing an average of 20:28 per game.
He helped the Stars reach the Western Conference final.
“Esa is a solid presence on our blue line and has become a trusted player in all situations,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “He’s proven himself on the penalty kill and is accumulating minutes in tough defensive assignments.”
Lindell, 30, has played in all 164 regular-season games for the Stars over the past two seasons. He has 49 goals and 191 points in 604 National Hockey League games, all with the Stars.
Stars camp will begin on Thursday.