The Dallas Stars selected the Finland-born Lindell in the third round (No. 74 overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft hoping he would develop into an offensive force along the blue line.
He has since given them plenty of reason to believe he will do just that.
The Dallas Stars selected the Finland-born Lindell in the third round (No. 74 overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft hoping he would develop into an offensive force along the blue line.
He has since given them plenty of reason to believe he will do just that.
As a 20-year-old, Lindell had 14 goals and 35 points for Assat Pori of Liiga, Finland's top professional league, during the 2014-15 season. In 2015-16, his first pro season in North America, Lindell scored 14 goals again, this time for Texas of the American Hockey League, and finished with 42 points in 73 games.
He was 16th in the AHL in scoring among rookies and ninth among defensemen. The native of Vantaa, Finland, also played four games with Dallas during the season, making his NHL debut Jan. 19, 2016, against the Los Angeles Kings.
Lindell has represented his country in international play, including at the 2014 World Junior Championship, where he helped Finland win a gold medal; the 2015 World Championship, where he was named one of Finland's top three players; and the 2016 World Championship, where Finland won silver.
Lindell was a prolific scorer in junior hockey, too. He led the Finnish Elite Junior League with 51 points (21 goals) in 48 games in 2011-12 and was named its top player in the regular season.
