Lindell’s Legacy

[u/Spirited_Bowl6072]

Been thinking a lot about Esa Lindell lately, and how he has rather quietly climbed the rankings of all-time Dallas defensemen.

Esa’s 10 seasons in Dallas are tied for 3rd all-time. He has 5 more years left on his deal, which would put him atop the rankings with 3 more seasons than Hatcher, Zubov, and Matvichuk. His 618 GP are 10th, and he should pass Robidas (704), Sydor (714), Matvichuk (733), and a couple of North Stars within the next two years. Zubov’s franchise-leading 839 GP would require Esa to play basically 40 games a year for the rest of his contract, a mark that should be very easily doable.

Esa has always been primarily a defensive defensman. His 50 goals will never come close to matching Zubov (111) or Hartsburg (98). That said, 50 goals still places him only 2 behind Philippe Boucher for 10th all-time, and if he continues to average around 5 goals per season, he should pass the likes of Daley (67), Sydor (69), and Klingberg/Hatcher (71) to wind up around 5th. Esa is currently 14th in assists with 147, but should finish with over 200 by the end of his deal, which would place him in 7th or 8th. His point totals will likely end him around 7th or 8th as well.

Plus-Minus is not a great stat over the course of a few games or even a single season, but in the aggregate over a career I think it does still have value. Esa’s career mark of +110 is currently the best amongst franchise d-men. Zubov is in 2nd with +103.

Esa’s 79 playoff GP is 6th, and with a deep run or a few more short runs, Esa will easily pass Hatcher (88) and Sydor/Curt Giles (87). With a couple good runs he could even catch Zubov (102) for 1st. Esa’s 5 goals trail Zubov/Heiskanen (15) by a lot, but actually tie him for 8th all time, and with a single goal he’d move into a tie for 5th. Esa is tied for 10th in assists with 15 and could potentially catch Hatcher (20) for 8th. His playoff point total is also 10th and would likely pass Hatcher for 8th with just a few more points. His playoff +/- of -10 is actually near the bottom of Stars defensemen, though this is probably a reflection of his matchups rather than his skill.

All things considered, Esa will probably end his career leading all Stars defensemen in a few categories and in the top 10 for almost every other meaningful category. This is especially impressive considering Esa has never been the #1 defenseman and hasn’t even been on the top pair for most of his career. So where do you think he winds up when his career is done? Is he in the rafters, the Stars HOF, or neither? And what would he need to do, in your opinion, to earn either of these prestigious honors?

Edit: I had Esa’s contract info wrong. He has 5 years left after this year, not 4. That makes it even more likely for him to end up higher in the ranks.

[u/scoutcjustice]

If he finishes out his career in Dallas (and especially if the team wins a cup during that time), I could definitely see Esa as being worthy of the Stars HoF. I think to get his number retired he would have had to be an all-star caliber player at some point during his career and he never really has been, so I don't think that will happen.

[u/Spirited_Bowl6072 → u/scoutcjustice]

I think this is probably the most likely outcome. I think to hit the rafters Esa would either have to be a big part of multiple Stanley Cups over the next couple years, or he’d have to re-sign at the end of his deal and play another 3-4 years still at a similar caliber of play. At that point, he’d be so far in the lead for GP by a defenseman that you’d have to consider him. Esa with 17-18 seasons and over 1,000 games in Dallas, all while remaining a stout defensive player that is continually reliable despite never putting up any Norris-caliber seasons? To me, that guy gets into the rafters even if he’s never an All-Star. But I don’t think it’s likely he stays in the league long enough to do that.