Just two years after being taken with the 4th overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft, Cayden Lindstrom finds himself outside of the top-5 in our rankings of the top prospects for the Blue Jackets. They need him to have a big campaign for Michigan State this year.
The top prospects list was compiled by a collective ranking from all of the writers at Union and Blue: Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz, Struan McNevan, and Curtis Deem. We only include players 24 years and under, with fewer than 25 NHL games. Stats are from the previous season, in the league where each player spent the most time. Projections are based on top-end upside.
Top prospect #6: C Cayden Lindstrom
How we ranked him: Curtis (5), Matthew (5), Mike (6), Weston (5), Struan (6). Cayden was ranked #1 on this list last summer.
You need to hit on your first round picks, especially during a rebuild. Hitting on those picks is even more important when you're picking inside the top-5. To this point, Cayden Lindstrom has not shown anywhere near the promise we saw heading into the 2024 NHL Draft.
The moment the Blue Jackets picked him fourth overall, the fanbase became divided. Many were immediately concerned about his back issues, while some quickly jumped to defend the pick. A lot of that defense was based off of what we were told at the draft: he was supposed to be on his way to health.
That turned out to be wrong. Two years after the pick, we still have a lot of concerns about his health. That's a big reason he has fallen so far on this list. The main reason, however, is that even when he was healthy and in the lineup for Michigan State last season: he didn't do much to stand out.
Cayden posted just 3 goals and 10 points in 31 games for the Spartans, adding 94 penalty minutes. That placed him 16th on the team in scoring. While he was playing at a higher level than he had ever played before, and coming off of an entire year of missed hockey; those are still very underwhelming numbers from a guy taken fourth overall at the NHL Draft.
Consider this: Porter Martone was the 6th overall pick at the 2025 Draft. He played on that same Spartans team, and scored a 25-25-50 line in 35 games. He then stepped into the NHL and made an immediate impact for the Philadelphia Flyers at the end of the year. He's 9 months younger.
That is the kind of production we would have liked to see from Cayden in the NCAA last season. Instead, it seemed like the only time he was in the headlines, was due to another ailment-or his undisciplined play.
As a result, he falls from #1 on our list of top prospects, all the way to #6. That doesn't mean his chances are running, out or that there is no potential here. But, it does mean that he needs to have a huge season for the Spartans next year. Otherwise, the concern will loom even larger.
The tools are all there. At 6'3" and 220 pounds, Cayden already has the frame of a grown man. A large one, at that. He's physical, willing to go to the dirty areas, and isn't going to back down from any challenge. To top it all off, he's an exceptional skater, with enough skill to drive an offensive line and take over the game seemingly at will.
The key this year: staying healthy and putting that all together. Whether it's fair or not, Cayden is always going to be judged based on the success of the players drafted around him. So far, he's well behind the competition.
The player picked just ahead of him (Beckett Sennecke, 60 points in 82 games), and the player picked right behind him (Ivan Demidov, 64 points in 84 games) are already making a huge difference in the NHL. The Blue Jackets cannot wait any longer for Cayden Lindstrom to find his game. The time is now.
Pros: size, physicality, skating, hands, shot
Cons: injury concerns, undisciplined style
Projection: middle-six role player
At the time of his selection, the Blue Jackets hoped they were getting another potential #1 NHL center. Two years on, I'm not even sure they have an NHL player on their hands. It's maybe 50/50 at this point. Cayden still looks to be quite a long way away from making a difference in Columbus.
If he can stay healthy and rediscover his game this year, that can all change. But even so, I don't think the Eric Lindros comparisons are ever going to come to fruition. The lost development with his various ailments have stunted his upside.
More likely, I think the hope is that he becomes a Sam Bennett type of player at his top end. Never a guy to lead his team in scoring, but a guy that can chip in some points while being a crucial role player in the middle six. Lets hope for a big bounce-back campaign from Cayden this year.
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