Prospect Info: Cayden Lindstrom

[AnonCommentary]

This is a Medicine Hat reporter fwiw. Seems like we don’t really know. Only one claiming for sure done. The primary individual isn’t a CBJ writer like Scheig is.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Heads should roll , and I like Don .. just have no clue how you draft this kid over Demidov , and that’s before the back issues . How you still draft this kid after the back issues at 4 was nuts

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Heads should roll , and I like Don .. just have no clue how you draft this kid over Demidov , and that’s before the back issues . How you still draft this kid after the back issues at 4 was nuts

As of today, Demidov also has 0 NHL points.

More at 11.

 

[majormajor]

It's a common approach on these boards, expect the worst so you can either say you were right or can be pleasantly surprised

You know I try to be as neutral as possible (emotionally) and not err too negatively or positively on outcomes. I've been positive on Lindstrom. But if this news is true then I think there is solid grounds for taking a negative view. A recovery period until next Fall is longer than typically needed for this surgery, which suggests that the underlying problem was not resolved by the surgery.

That said, I still hate it when people start acting like they know it for sure or acting like it's all over for an 18 year old kid and we can start writing it into the history books with Alex Picard and all of that. That or acting like they know better than the doctors who examined him. Yes, the doctors maybe said there was an x% probability that he would recover well without surgery. That's how probabilities work, they don't operate in false certainties. They're still smarter than you and know this stuff better than your roofer cousin who still has back problems.

I saw him walk into the building on his own without assistance New Year’s Eve.

So that’s good

This is a surgery that people are supposed to walk out of the hospital the same day as the operation. Don't ask me how, that's what it says.

 

[stevo61]

You know I try to be as neutral as possible (emotionally) and not err too negatively or positively on outcomes. I've been positive on Lindstrom. But if this news is true then I think there is solid grounds for taking a negative view. A recovery period until next Fall is longer than typically needed for this surgery, which suggests that the underlying problem was not resolved by the surgery.

That said, I still hate it when people start acting like they know it for sure or acting like it's all over for an 18 year old kid and we can start writing it into the history books with Alex Picard and all of that. That or acting like they know better than the doctors who examined him. Yes, the doctors maybe said there was an x% probability that he would recover well without surgery. That's how probabilities work, they don't operate in false certainties. They're still smarter than you and know this stuff better than your roofer cousin who still has back problems.



This is a surgery that people are supposed to walk out of the hospital the same day as the operation. Don't ask me how, that's what it says.

Still a lot of questions and information we will never have the answers to. What level of rehab is he at? Are they working in other area's because they see things in his everyday life that made him susceptible to this? Are they fixing how he trains? Most people assume athletes are good in the gym but often they suck technically in many lifts. Is the team just being incredibly cautious, maybe even more than they need to be?

He has looked good in terms of being able to do simple everyday things from any public appearance we see of him. I know when my back was mangled I didn't make it look good I couldn't sit for more than a minute or 2 before getting a real nasty crooked back.

 

[majormajor]

I'll respond to the whining about what a waste last year was (IF Lindstrom doesn't recover). This post is about how rebuilds go and not really about Lindstrom.

Yeah it would be a waste. And that for the most part is what losing seasons are, wastes. Rebuilds sometimes work but usually not because the team sucks enough to get high picks who do it all themselves. That is such a rarity in recent years.

We currently have an excellent top 4 players, excellent enough to be a team high in the standings. The reason we are not that team yet is our shortcomings in the next layer of players, the ones that are easier to acquire. Our top 4 are 1) a D who, at the onset of the rebuild, we were sure was just going to be a middling 1D, and has instead become a superstar, 2) a 2nd rounder, 3) a 4th round overager who we had low expectations for, and 4) a free agent center who was supposed to be too dinged up to play a major role at this point in his career.

Meanwhile, the last five top picks are 1) injured (again), 2) contributing but only on the PP, 3) traded because he stank, 4) developing slowly and currently a poor player, and 5) injured and possibly won't play again.

I've seen this movie before. Rebuilds are funny. Teams go up and down in unpredictable ways. Like I said, this post isn't really about Lindstrom, but some of you might be helped in your despair if you realize that the whole world doesn't depend on what happens with these 18 year olds that we draft.

 

[majormajor]

Still a lot of questions and information we will never have the answers to. What level of rehab is he at? Are they working in other area's because they see things in his everyday life that made him susceptible to this? Are they fixing how he trains? Most people assume athletes are good in the gym but often they suck technically in many lifts. Is the team just being incredibly cautious, maybe even more than they need to be?

He has looked good in terms of being able to do simple everyday things from any public appearance we see of him. I know when my back was mangled I didn't make it look good I couldn't sit for more than a minute or 2 before getting a real nasty crooked back.

I don't think that's it but I know what you mean.

I really doubt that they've had him under a bar yet. Probably zero squats with weight. It does happen a lot that people can't wrap their heads around the little things - like if all the doctors and PT constantly tell you to do your planks and stretches in an exact way exactly this many times per day - folks will still not do it correctly.

But I think with Lindstrom we've probably had our trainers physically by his side. He's in the team facilities.

I don't think we would keep him out until next year unless there was a clear pain and/or mobility issue. It can't just be precautionary. You don't choose to keep a player that young away from the game that long, it's too costly in terms of development.

 

[DougKnowsBest]

This is a surgery that people are supposed to walk out of the hospital the same day as the operation. Don't ask me how, that's what it says.

I’m sure it’s not the case with nhl players.

But if I had that surgery and sent home the same day I’m positive it would be the insurance companies call not the doctor

 

[stevo61]

I don't think that's it but I know what you mean.

I really doubt that they've had him under a bar yet. Probably zero squats with weight. It does happen a lot that people can't wrap their heads around the little things - like if all the doctors and PT constantly tell you to do your planks and stretches in an exact way exactly this many times per day - folks will still not do it correctly.

But I think with Lindstrom we've probably had our trainers physically by his side. He's in the team facilities.

I don't think we would keep him out until next year unless there was a clear pain and/or mobility issue. It can't just be precautionary. You don't choose to keep a player that young away from the game that long, it's too costly in terms of development.

I doubt he's under a bar either, too many ways to get all the work you need without stress on your lower back.

I'd love to hear from the doctors and how they feel know vs their intial diagnosis, or what Lindstrom is actually feeling.

To the last point it's obviously a balance between development and risk of reinjury. If he does miss the season but does recover it likely means a slower route to the NHL. Maybe like Gabe Vilardi. That said a lost year while obviously not ideal doesn't have to be make or break in a career. Wyatt Johnston missed an entire year (through no fault of his own) and was putting up very solid NHL numbers 2 years later. I get that he wasn't injured and could do things Lindstrom probably hasn't but it's still not the same as being on the ice playing competitively

 

[majormajor]

To the last point it's obviously a balance between development and risk of reinjury.

I don't know about that, I think that he might still have discomfort or a mobility issue. If it was just a matter of precaution I think they'd still insist on having him on the ice by March.

 

[alphafox]

The clearest and cleanest path forward to me is to trade him. I wanted to believe in the pick due to the upside but was skeptical even when the pick was made. Since then it's been nothing but bad news and that is dovetailing with the team apparently being ahead of schedule due to positive roster development up front (although I think Werenski and a few others might be at their absolute peaks). As such if Lindstrom could be a key piece in a deal for someone from either Buffalo or Vancouver it would make a ton of sense to pull the trigger now rather than gamble that the recovery from surgery is perfect and that he develops into the top 6 playoff center we all hope(d) he could become.

Unfortunately DW blew his first big opportunity to make a huge improvement to this club 1st by failing to pull the trigger on the Blackhawks deal if the rumored return was accurate and then by selecting Lindstrom rather than a handful of other players like Iginla, Demidov, Yakemchuk, etc.

 

[Cowumbus]

The clearest and cleanest path forward to me is to trade him. I wanted to believe in the pick due to the upside but was skeptical even when the pick was made. Since then it's been nothing but bad news and that is dovetailing with the team apparently being ahead of schedule due to positive roster development up front (although I think Werenski and a few others might be at their absolute peaks). As such if Lindstrom could be a key piece in a deal for someone from either Buffalo or Vancouver it would make a ton of sense to pull the trigger now rather than gamble that the recovery from surgery is perfect and that he develops into the top 6 playoff center we all hope(d) he could become.

Unfortunately DW blew his first big opportunity to make a huge improvement to this club 1st by failing to pull the trigger on the Blackhawks deal if the rumored return was accurate and then by selecting Lindstrom rather than a handful of other players like Iginla, Demidov, Yakemchuk, etc.

Why would a team trade a “sure thing” in a deal for Lindstrom?

 

[SteelCityCannon]

The clearest and cleanest path forward to me is to trade him. I wanted to believe in the pick due to the upside but was skeptical even when the pick was made. Since then it's been nothing but bad news and that is dovetailing with the team apparently being ahead of schedule due to positive roster development up front (although I think Werenski and a few others might be at their absolute peaks). As such if Lindstrom could be a key piece in a deal for someone from either Buffalo or Vancouver it would make a ton of sense to pull the trigger now rather than gamble that the recovery from surgery is perfect and that he develops into the top 6 playoff center we all hope(d) he could become.

Unfortunately DW blew his first big opportunity to make a huge improvement to this club 1st by failing to pull the trigger on the Blackhawks deal if the rumored return was accurate and then by selecting Lindstrom rather than a handful of other players like Iginla, Demidov, Yakemchuk, etc.

That's a terrible idea honestly.

You only make that trade if you think he's never going to play hockey again, which they obviously dont think.

Again, I have to say it every thread, he's 18 years old. This doom and gloom is insane.

 

[CBJ goalie]

Some of you......my god, please step back from the ledge.
You're getting wound up and upset about NOTHING. Yes, nothing because nothing hasn't even happened.

 

[alphafox]

Why would a team trade a “sure thing” in a deal for Lindstrom?

It wouldn't be a straight up trade, Lindstrom would be part of a package and you would have to assume that the value would still be high in the estimation of the team trading for him. Something like Lindstrom+Proverov+? for Elias Pettersson. It assumes Lindstrom has significant remaining value and our desire is to shift our risk profile/ competitive window. If Lindstrom really is toast no one is trading anything, for him, right now we are still in a Schrodinger's Prospect situation so our choice as I see it is to leverage Lindstrom like a lottery ticket that you can package with other assets to maximize return.

 

[alphafox]

That's a terrible idea honestly.

You only make that trade if you think he's never going to play hockey again, which they obviously dont think.

Again, I have to say it every thread, he's 18 years old. This doom and gloom is insane.

Fair enough, if you believe his value will go up this view make sense. Unfortunately, I seriously doubt the medical capability of this team's medical staff and referral network. In addition Neck and Back injuries are the most likely to destroy a career, particularly in a contact heavy sport.

There is no doubt that if Lindstrom hits his ceiling he will be more valuable than anyone we could reasonably get in trade for him. The problem is that for a prospect whose value is primarily in his physical attributes and physical play and injury like this even in a best case scenario is likely to at a minimum alter how he plays and his effectiveness even if it is just a mental shift. I truly hope I am wrong and he is back and ready to go as only a teenager can be when it comes to injuries.

 

[majormajor]

Fair enough, if you believe his value will go up this view make sense. Unfortunately, I seriously doubt the medical capability of this team's medical staff and referral network. In addition Neck and Back injuries are the most likely to destroy a career, particularly in a contact heavy sport.

There is no doubt that if Lindstrom hits his ceiling he will be more valuable than anyone we could reasonably get in trade for him. The problem is that for a prospect whose value is primarily in his physical attributes and physical play and injury like this even in a best case scenario is likely to at a minimum alter how he plays and his effectiveness even if it is just a mental shift. I truly hope I am wrong and he is back and ready to go as only a teenager can be when it comes to injuries.

Either way, you can expect his health issues to be factored into his trade value and then some. Imagine what it looks like "Blue Jackets reportedly seeking to trade injured prospect Cayden Lindstrom". You don't get much for that.

 

[Cheddarcheese]

with our prospect pool I'm not to worried. this might be the best case for his development. WHL next year then AHL year after. there that stupid rule were 19 year olds cant play in the AHL so this helps that timelime for him

 

[AnonCommentary]

Now I’m confused by this individual. Said CBJ said he’s done but is saying nothing is confirmed.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Fair enough, if you believe his value will go up this view make sense. Unfortunately, I seriously doubt the medical capability of this team's medical staff and referral network. In addition Neck and Back injuries are the most likely to destroy a career, particularly in a contact heavy sport.

Why do you doing the medical capability of our medical staff exactly? Just seems like doomer talk.

 

[Crede777]

Unanticipated setbacks are bad for this team for two reasons. First, it's a setback which is by definition not ideal. Second, because it is unanticipated, it makes us ask if it should have been anticipated and the team simply got it wrong or if it truly was not able to be foreseen.

That said, with Lindstrom, I think his hockey career is still just beginning. From the reports, he's dealing with lingering pain which is an issue but not as severe an issue as if there was concern about re-injuring or further structural damage to his back. We will wait and see, but I'm still optimistic that he will be able to resume playing at some point. At that time we can reevaluate his ability.

 

[alphafox]

Why do you doing the medical capability of our medical staff exactly? Just seems like doomer talk.

We've been in the top 5 in man games lost to injury for the last 2 years, top 10 for the last 4. We've had major issues with high profile recurring player injuries dating back to the disaster that was Nathan Horton and continuing through Jenner, Dubinsky, Laine, etc.

I tend not to believe that our players are just a lot more fragile/less lucky then other teams and I put that failure on the medical team and their evaluation. If there is one bright spot I see in this Lindstrom situation, its that the team actually appears to be exercising a true abundance of caution being with his treatment and evaluation. If he is going to recover back to 100% this is the way to do it, it is just the fact that every piece of news has been negative that makes me doubt that his recovery is likely.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

We've been in the top 5 in man games lost to injury for the last 2 years, top 10 for the last 4. We've had major issues with high profile recurring player injuries dating back to the disaster that was Nathan Horton and continuing through Jenner, Dubinsky, Laine, etc.

I tend not to believe that our players are just a lot more fragile/less lucky then other teams and I put that failure on the medical team and their evaluation. If there is one bright spot I see in this Lindstrom situation, its that the team actually appears to be exercising a true abundance of caution being with his treatment and evaluation. If he is going to recover back to 100% this is the way to do it, it is just the fact that every piece of news has been negative that makes me doubt that his recovery is likely.

I mean, we both hope Lindstrom works out, but this seems unfair to blame on the medical staff. Jenner catches a rut and crashes into the boards in practice, I can't hold that against the medical staff. I mean come on. DW has done a great job dumping the injury prone players off this team, and we've been better for it.

Horton sure, but when we're going back 10 years to find a good example that should tell us something.

 

[Doggy]

We as fans can bang the table right now all we want on the Lindstrom situation and it will continue until there is resolution. I think the one thing we can all agree on is that GMDW is going to own this pick. Either 4-5 years from now we agree GMDW shit the bed or was brazenly strong in his conviction despite the question marks on making this pick and proved the doubters wrong.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

let's put aside all of the "was he the right pick" and "how is his recovery stuff going" stuff for a second and remember that:

1. the primary requirement for a THW writing position is "are you willing to do it for free"
2. the "reporter" who "reported" this appears to be a college sophomore
3. he has 200 followers
4. the teams he "covers" are not the columbus blue jackets
5. his follow-up tweets seem be backtracking from his original statement

which means that either:

1. the blue jackets decided to give this random college student with a minuscule following an exclusive scoop about a top-4 pick
2. OR he's not an actual journalist and we shouldn't take this seriously whatsoever

guys, i'll give you a hint: it's the second one.