Cayden Lindstrom

September 2026 – Lindstrom returned to taking regular shifts after a long layoff from a back injury and subsequent surgery shortly after being taking fourth overall by the Blue Jackets.

Lindstrom skated in 31 games in his inaugural NCAA season, scoring three times and supplying seven assists. Lindstrom, as both an NCAA rookie and coming off of the layoff, was used sparingly throughout the year. His time on ice regularly sat under 15 minutes, and tapered off near the end of the year.

The offense didn’t pop, but there are still some decent underlying numbers for optimists to hang their hats on. According to Instat, six of his seven assists were of the primary variety, showing his playmaking knack and leaving room for positive regression from a luck perspective. His net-Xg, or the difference in expected goals for MSU versus their opponents when he was on the ice, was in the 80th percentile at 6.4. The snarl of Lindstrom’s game hasn’t diminished, and he was one of the top penalized players (99th percentile with 21)- and your league setting determine if that’s a positive or a negative- as well as a 90th percentile player for hits.

The concern for Lindstrom, the Blue Jackets and poolies alike is that his future NHL production doesn’t live up to the fourth overall selection. It is too late to change the investment capital we have spent acquiring Lindstrom in our leagues, and it’s the decisions we make now that will have the impact. Lindstrom will likely be able to build on his rookie season last year with an increased role and a year of hockey under his belt. If his shots on goal and hits increase with more ice-time next year, and puck luck gods decide to be less stingy with secondary assists, it would mark a decent step up in his perceived value.

Lindstrom’s acquisition value is likely as low as its been in his career, as newer and flashier prospects have just been drafted, and its worth kicking tires to see if he can be pried for a diminished cost. It’s still possible to see him make the show as a multi-cat producer, the smart player will view him at his potential value going forward rather than focussing on the decrease in expected value from when he was drafted. Alex Wyatt

October 2025 – Through the first four games of the 2025-26 season, his first season playing with Michigan State in the NCAA, Lindstrom has one goal, one assist, two PIMs and 10 shots on goal. His first collegiate goal came off a stretch pass that Lindstrom took in stride before beating the Boston University goalie five-hole. Lindstrom added an assist and four shots in that game. Coming off a back injury that kept him out of the Western Hockey League regular season last year, Lindstrom is finding his game in the NCAA. Mick S

June 2025 – Lindstrom announced he is leaving the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers and has committed to Michigan State University for the 2025-26 season. He missed the entire 2024-25 regular season due to back surgery and only rejoined the Tigers in the WHL championship series against the Spokane Chiefs, where he produced four points (two goals and two assists) in seven games. He was then able to play in the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Quebec. Lindstrom will look to stay healthy and to make an impact as a freshman at Michigan State and build up his fantasy value to where it was before his lengthy absence due to injury. Mark Henry

March 2025 – Lindstrom, selected fourth overall by the Jackets in the 2024 NHL Draft, is reportedly set to transfer from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to Michigan State University. The move preserves his NCAA eligibility, as he has not signed an entry-level contract. NCAA hockey’s shorter schedule is expected to grant Lindstrom additional time for skill development and physical recovery. At MSU, he will join a program renowned for its experienced coaching staff, advanced facilities, and competitive environment aimed at refining player potential. An official announcement is anticipated in July. Owen Hilsinger

June 2024 – Lindstrom was selected 4th overall by the Blue Jackets. Pat Quinn

April 2024 – Cayden Lindstrom has the makeup of the kind of top-six centre that NHL teams covet, and for good reason. Lindstrom is a towering 6’4 pivot with high-end athletic tools and defensive upside, but his game is in no way defined by these attributes. Lindstrom’s skills are best showcased on the offensive side of the puck and in the attacking zone. Lindstrom is highly effective in transition, where he can build a head of steam to create entries and quality rush chances.

In-zone is where Lindstrom’s tools shine, getting off the boards into the middle of the ice frequently, using excellent body positioning and puck protection, winning pucks back deep in-zone, and showing small-area puckhandling and awareness that would be the envy of many smaller players. He also has a hard shot but makes a living playing the game “the right way”, getting to the dirty areas of the ice, playing through checks, utilizing smart off-puck routes, taking high-quality shots, setting up his teammates, and finishing his checks hard. While Lindstrom has a high floor as a physical, two-way centre with a strong possession game, it is easy to envision him using his offensive pop to turn into a high-end top-six forward, especially if he can stay healthy. (April Rankings: #3) Luke Sweeney

November 2023: Lindstrom has been showing up all over the place on different draft boards, and for good reason: it’s quite hard to get a grasp of his true upside.

Physically gifted and willing to use it, Lindstrom is incredibly disruptive along the boards, competes hard on every puck, and does a lot of little things right. From his tendency to cut to the middle off the rush, to his hard back-checks, to his ability to take each puck in stride without needing to slow down, many details of his game scream ”NHL. On top of that, his skating is polished, and he has no problem carrying his large frame on 200 feet, with or without the puck. Early on, we probably would have ranked his playmaking as a below-average tool. However, we’ve seen incremental growth in his ability to draw pressure in and dish the puck through it, to go along with the refined goal-scoring and stickhandling mechanics. His ranking at 8th overall on our early board is a bet on that incremental growth continuing, and if it does, Lindstrom could develop into something special. Hadi Kalakeche (November rankings: 8th overall)