Blue Jackets’ Cayden Lindstrom won’t play in prospect tournament, will be ‘limited’ in training camp

Cayden Lindstrom, the Columbus Blue Jackets No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, will not participate in the NHL Prospects Challenge in Buffalo next month, and will likely be “limited” when the team opens camp Sept. 19, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.

Blue Jackets’ General Manager Don Waddell told Portzline the club had “all the MRIs, all the tests and everything else from his agents and doctors” before they drafted the 18-year-old Lindstrom out of the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers.

“This is something he’s going to get better from, but we want to be really careful with it. I’ve said all along, we’re going to slow-play this one,” Waddell said. “This is an important player for us, obviously, and the focus is on the future. I’ve told everybody involved that I’m not worried about today. I’m looking at the future.”

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis had Lindstrom as the No. 2 ranked center behind Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini, who was taken No. 1 overall by the San Jose Sharks.

Lindstrom was dominant in Medicine Hat last season – when he was able to suit up. He racked up 27 goals and 19 assists for 46 points in just 32 games, not to mention 66 penalty minutes, but his campaign was shortened by 36 games due to a hand injury and, later, a back injury.

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin wrote this about Lindstrom ahead of last June’s draft:

Historically, many big forwards take a bit of extra time to develop into their bodies, from Joe Thornton to Tage Thompson to Quinton Byfield. Even Lindros played an extra year before debuting in the NHL. So it’s probable that Lindstrom spends another season in major junior despite the fact he already has a man’s build.

He has also yet to represent Canada at the World Junior Championship and theoretically should be a strong candidate to crack the 2025 squad.