Prospect Info: Cayden Lindstrom

[The Last Red]

Funny timing then I guess. You're just here telling us what you would have done because...?

If "it comes down to who would have been a better pick at 4OA" then let's revisit in a coupla years. Like with pretty much all draft picks. And then you can can tell us if you were right.

I am acknowledging that Lindstrom might very well be the best pick at 4OA. I still wouldn't have done it due to the risk factor and available alternatives. That's all that I said.

 

[Xoggz22]

This is hilarious. I'm glad you're all experts on this topic and have seen his medical chart and know the future. Can we save the "I told you so" until there is actually an impact and something to reference this issue for. This is not the first player to have a back issue or even this issue. I mean, I can't believe how poorly things have gone for Jack Eichel. Seriously, you want a poster child for back issues...that guy. And he had disc replacement. Not a minor surgery. Can we at least give it a couple years before the doom and gloom. Utterly ridiculous.

 

[Dumais]

If Lindstrom hits, O.M.G
If Lindstrom bust, Typical CBJ

With a total lack of knowledge, I hope for the best.

 

[Fred Glover]

Took a teenager in the top five who has a bad back. Unbelievable.

That is their alibi

 

[ThisIsMyAlibi]

This is hilarious. I'm glad you're all experts on this topic and have seen his medical chart and know the future. Can we save the "I told you so" until there is actually an impact and something to reference this issue for. This is not the first player to have a back issue or even this issue. I mean, I can't believe how poorly things have gone for Jack Eichel. Seriously, you want a poster child for back issues...that guy. And he had disc replacement. Not a minor surgery. Can we at least give it a couple years before the doom and gloom. Utterly ridiculous.

different injury because it occurred in a different area of the spine

 

[Xoggz22]

different injury because it occurred in a different area of the spine

Very true, but also was a radical surgery that goes well beyond the minor surgery for Lindstrom. It may shorten Eichel's career, but my point was it didn't end his career and some of the talk on here seems more driven to "I told you so, he's a bust" before anything has happened. He could be a bust without this issue. It's just my opinion that there is way too much being put on this given we have seen Mark Stone and Andrei Vasilevsky have this surgery, later in their careers and have been able to play at a high level. Stone has had multiple injuries so I'm not sure he's a great example here, but this is not a death nail it's being made out to be. Again, that's my take on this thread and I just find it silly at this point.

 

[AnonCommentary]

Item No. 3: Lindstrom’s back The Blue Jackets revealed last Wednesday that Cayden Lindstrom, the club’s No. 4 overall draft pick this past summer, had back surgery to relieve symptoms caused by a herniated disc in his lower back. The procedure is called a lumbar microdiscectomy. Waddell said doctors expect Lindstrom to make a full recovery and are optimistic that, after a month or so of rest, he can resume skating and training and return to play yet this season. Upon hearing this news, hundreds of amateur back surgeons in Columbus and the rest of the hockey world expressed concern that Lindstrom’s back would never be 100 percent and/or that the Blue Jackets erred in selecting Lindstrom so high last June. The Athletic contacted a surgeon in Columbus who performs this procedure to answer some of the basic questions about Lindstrom’s surgery. Dr. Elizabeth Yu, an orthopedic surgeon at Ohio State who specializes in treating spinal diseases and disorders, took time out of a busy schedule to have this email exchange: In layman’s terms, what does a microdiscectomy procedure entail, and what ailment does it remedy? The lower back, or lumbar spine, is composed of the vertebral bone and the discs that are the cushion between the bones. As we age, the discs begin to degenerate and can sometimes herniate and cause pressure on a spinal nerve. This can cause leg pain. A lumbar microdiscectomy is a procedure that removes the herniated portion of the disc to take pressure off the nerve and help alleviate the nerve pain down the leg. How many of these procedures have you performed? What is the typical success rate, and what is considered a success? I have been in practice for over 10 years and have done several hundred of these procedures. The success rate is over 90 percent for improvement of the nerve pain down the leg when the advanced imaging correlates with the patient’s clinical complaints. What is the recovery time for this procedure? When is a reasonable amount of time for a patient to be cleared to participate in a physical game such as hockey? And would you have concerns about a patient continuing to play hockey? My protocol for the recovery timetable for this procedure is six weeks of restricted activity to allow the body to heal from surgery. After this, I encourage patients to participate in physical therapy, and, if they are in a physical sport, to resume training with the goal of returning to the game. How likely is a microdiscectomy patient to require further back surgery later in life? Do the chances increase that a spinal fusion will be necessary? There is a risk of re-herniation. It does not necessarily mean the patient needs another surgery. If they are unable to improve with nonoperative treatment options, such as spinal injections, medication and/or physical therapy, another lumbar microdiscectomy would be recommended. If a patient continues to re-herniate their disc at the same level, a spinal fusion is recommended to stop the recurrence. How concerned would you be about the overall health of a person’s back if this surgery is required at 18 years of age? Counseling patients on the importance of a healthy back and proper body mechanics is something that is relevant regardless of age.