The Dallas Stars selected Lindell in the third round (No. 74 overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft hoping he would develop into an offensive force along the blue line.

He has done just that, giving them consistent production and surpassing 30 points for the first time in the NHL in 2018-19, when he scored 32 (11 goals, 21 assists).

As a 20-year-old in 2014-15, Lindell had 14 goals and 35 points for Assat Pori of Liiga, Finland's top professional league. 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. He had NHL career highs in goals (11) and points (32) in 2018-19 and contributed eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 27 games during Dallas' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020.

Lindell has represented his country in international play, including at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he helped Finland win a gold medal; the 2015 IIHF World Championship, where he was named one of Finland's top three players; and the 2016 IIHF World Championship, where Finland won silver.

Lindell was a prolific scorer in junior hockey. He led the Finnish Elite Junior League with 51 points (21 goals) in 48 games in 2011-12 and was named its best player in the regular season.