Dallas Stars: Last Year’s Grade, Next Year’s Guess: Esa Lindell

John Klingberg may get the most talk and the most love from fans, but today’s Dallas Stars player grade will look at his partner, Esa Lindell.

When the Dallas Stars brought Lindell up full-time in 2016-17, he quickly made a good impression and has spent most of his two full NHL seasons on the top pairing with Klingberg.

Last Season

Esa Lindell’s 2017-18 Grade: A-

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Lindell had a pretty good season in 2016-17, but he improved in basically every metric last year. He was higher in points, point share, plus/minus, and possession numbers.

The fact that he showed personal growth is a major positive, but he also did well when compared to his teammates. His +19 was third on the team, behind only Radek Faksa and Jamie Benn. His numbers compared to other defenseman in categories like points and point share are second only to Klingberg, and he actually had a higher defensive point share than Klingberg.

Some might argue that his play and his numbers are elevated by being Klingberg’s partner, but he holds his own on the ice. Yes, having a talented partner makes you better, but that goes both ways, and they play very well together. In addition to that, the two often play separated on special teams, and Lindell typically does well in those situations.

Next Season

Lindell improved from his first full season to his second, and he should keep improving for his third. He’s not yet in his prime and he has one of the best defensemen in the league as his partner, so he’ll likely keep getting better every year.

The biggest question right now going into next season is the new coaching staff, but both Klingberg and Lindell should be able to succeed under Montgomery’s system. Monty may elect to split them up at some point, a move that was speculated last summer with the changes to the defensive core, but doing that would likely be a mistake.

This is also the last season before Lindell needs another contract extension. He signed a 2-year deal worth $2.2M AAV after his 2016-17 campaign, and he’ll be looking for a nice raise next summer. The Stars should absolutely give it to him, but hopefully the extra incentive will drive his season even further to make him earn a better deal.

Tomorrow’s player grade will feature Mattias Janmark, and then we’ll move on to the five guys who played all 82 games. Until then, share your thoughts on Lindell, his grade, and his potential extension.