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GDT: 2024 NHL Draft Thread



4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)​

The Blue Jackets will have a difficult choice to make at No. 4, especially if both Demidov and Levshunov are gone, because I think their group would be fond of both. They’re also in a unique position with a strong young group of forwards (led by Adam Fantilli and some talented wingers) and pool on defense (led by David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk). I think Russian D Anton Silayev would make a lot of sense, what with their contingent of Russians on the roster, but the idea of a one-two punch of Fantilli and Lindstrom — who both play similar styles and have desired size and skating ability — down the middle might be too much for them to pass up (their pool is also thinner at center than on the wing). — Scott Wheeler
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At this point, I honestly expect a trade back. The top 10 of this draft is pretty wide open to evaluation and honestly with a new GM who has no pressure about losing his job I can see the appeal of trading back with say the flames for 9 and 29. The reality is we will likely be this high in the draft again next year. The new GM would be smart to bottom out hard and use the 2024 season to clear the roster for the next iteration of the blue jackets (Laine, Elvis, Werenski, Jenner, etc.) and put his stamp on the team. That means he can wheel and deal with the 4th for just about anything that isn't an established player without serious consequence. Plus if we can land a pick from 8-12 we are still talking about landing guys like Eieserman, Catton, Iginla, Dickinson, Helenius.
 
@majormajor I know how high you’ve been on Buium, but I can’t recall many specifics. I think I recall you saying that his skating is very strong, is that correct? And if so, is there a defenseman whose skating you could compare his to?
 
Early on, I'm leaning towards Silayev. I think his size and maturity at such a young age combined with knowing that he's likely going to reach somewhere in the 220-235ish range when he's fully developed....might just be too much to pass up on and size and grit are what we are severely lacking on defense. Combined with the ability for him to join a team that's already loaded with young Russian talent is just too much to pass up on(assuming most of them are still here...) I think he could make a PERFECT partner for a guy like Jiricek.

Plus can you imagine having not one, but TWO 6'7 Russians on the roster if Dolzy can make the transition!?
 
GoJackets1 said:
@majormajor I know how high you’ve been on Buium, but I can’t recall many specifics. I think I recall you saying that his skating is very strong, is that correct? And if so, is there a defenseman whose skating you could compare his to?
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He's a good skater, I don't think it's high end.

Buium is not a guy you pick for his tools or his size, he's all hockey sense. So you're hoping for an Adam Fox type of outcome - Fox being the ultimate example of a guy with poor tools and great results. Buium's tools are better than Fox, but not great.

Buium profiles similar to Mateychuk, if you know his game.
 
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ColumbusTrill said:
How's Silayev's hockey sense? His skating, specifically backwards, seems unreal for a dude his size
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I would imagine it has to be pretty good to be getting the time he was getting in the KHL at 17 under a coach like Larionov. Looks like the season wore on him at such a young age, but it's not concerning considering he's ya know only 17.
 
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Though I'd love dearly to see Demidov go to Columbus, the most likely outcome to me is that he's gone at #2, which I think would make Lindstrom the pick for the Blue Jackets. I would be quite happy with that.

EDIT: By the way, congratulations to our local Nostradami: @EspenK and @614 CBJ.
 
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To me, atleast at this time, this is very simple.

First, you expect Demidov to go to either Chicago or Anaheim.

And then you either get Lindstrom or Levshunov at 4.

Easy.

Lindstrom is a potential BEAST and we need some size and grit to our quite undersized (and/or soft) forward group. Levshunov on the other hand is a really impressive right hand shot D-man with size and skill. Future TOP4 with Jiricek and Levshunov on the right side would be a wet dream.

If you get to choose between Lindstrom and Levshunov? That is a good problem to have, but it wont happen.

Lindstrom/Levshunov, you are a Columbus Blue Jacket.
 
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I saw a couple of mentions of concerns about Lindstrom’s competitiveness on Reddit. I haven’t seen any of that here so can I assume that’s some typical Reddit BS?

As of now, I don’t know if I’m on the Lindstrom train yet. At this moment it’s hard for me to not want Demidov or Buium, with Levshunov being a somewhat distant third and Lindstrom an even more distant fourth. Not interested in Silayev this high.
 
GoJackets1 said:
I saw a couple of mentions of concerns about Lindstrom’s competitiveness on Reddit. I haven’t seen any of that here so can I assume that’s some typical Reddit BS?

As of now, I don’t know if I’m on the Lindstrom train yet. At this moment it’s hard for me to not want Demidov or Buium, with Levshunov being a somewhat distant third and Lindstrom an even more distant fourth. Not interested in Silayev this high.
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I'm pretty surprised that everyone is pining for Lindstrom given he is already having back issues.

To me, Lindstrom is a major, major gamble at 4. I wouldn't touch him, personally.
 
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ClevelandJacketFan said:
I'm pretty surprised that everyone is pining for Lindstrom given he is already having back issues.

To me, Lindstrom is a major, major gamble at 4. I wouldn't touch him, personally.
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Couch scouts should have no deep insight on his medical records, so I dont see why it should a point of discussion. Better to assume full health, while the actual health check is done at the combine
 
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ClevelandJacketFan said:
I'm pretty surprised that everyone is pining for Lindstrom given he is already having back issues.

To me, Lindstrom is a major, major gamble at 4. I wouldn't touch him, personally.
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While I wouldn't go so far as to say I wouldn't touch him, the back issue acts as a tiebreaker for me and why I see a trade-down as a possibility. I don't think projection-wise he values that much higher than most of the top-tier defensemen if at all.
 
ClevelandJacketFan said:
I don't know if Lindstrom is much different than Sillinger, IMO. Better defensively, not close offensively.
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purely comparing them as prospects:
  • sillinger was a better passer/playmaker
  • sillinger played a far more detailed game (lindstrom gets caught puck-watching in the d-zone a LOT for my tastes)
  • similarly lethal shots
  • similar physicality
  • lindstrom has better size
  • lindstrom is more explosive with more straight line speed
  • similar technical skating flaws (lindstrom is VERY upright, unrefined edgework, wide turns)
lindstrom plays a powerful game but he's also 6'4 220 and can get away with lacking refinement against teenagers. i have concerns about how that translates to the NHL. lots of prospects with similar profiles (big, powerful, raw, productive in junior) have either struggled to adapt to the NHL or topped out as mid-tier players.

here are some big forwards drafted in a similar range over the last 10 drafts:
  • busts: jesse puljujarvi, logan brown, vitali kravstov, vasily podkolzin, kaapo kakko
  • mid-tier: pavel zacha, lawson crouse, michael rasmussen, kirby dach, dylan strome
  • developing: quinton byfield, juraj slafkovsky, cutter gauthier, nate danielson, daniil but
  • stars: matthew tkachuk, mikko rantanen, dylan cozens
the last three guys all have elite skill, which i don't see with lindstrom. there are a lot of elements i like in lindstrom's game but i think he's going to be more of a zacha/crouse level middle-six player than a true star. if the pick was around ~8-12 i'd be happy with that, but at #4 overall they need to go for someone who has true star potential.

imo, the best case scenario is one of demidov or levshunov falling to #4. if that doesn't happen, it feels like a good year to trade back. but of that next group, the guys who i think have potential star power are buium, parekh, catton and maybe helenius. could also see an argument for silayev or dickinson.

helenius in particular is an interesting one to me. his profile is wildly different from lindstrom, but i think he's going to be a better pro. he plays a really smart, refined game and produces against men as a teenager, whereas lindstrom plays a raw game in junior where he's way more physically mature than his peers.
 
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ClevelandJacketFan said:
I'm pretty surprised that everyone is pining for Lindstrom given he is already having back issues.

To me, Lindstrom is a major, major gamble at 4. I wouldn't touch him, personally.
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Agreed. The interesting thing to me is that I don’t recall seeing this pining before last night. Wondering if that is because people thought we’d move down?
 
stevo61 said:
Couple of us have said it all along and some didnt care to be invested until they knew the draft order
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Gotcha. I’ll have to officially start my prospect viewing now. The injuries worry me so I hope he has a clean bill of health behind the scenes.
 
GoJackets1 said:
Agreed. The interesting thing to me is that I don’t recall seeing this pining before last night. Wondering if that is because people thought we’d move down?
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the pining is because people want the team to be bigger and meaner. but that doesn't happen by drafting an 18-year-old who puck-watches in his own zone.

the more I think about it, the more I'm drawn to helenius. so much of his profile reminds me of sebastian aho. crafty, intelligent, competitive player who can play all situations. I'm less convinced lindstrom turns out as a center or as a plus-level defensive player.
 
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