F Cayden Lindstrom - Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL (2024, 4th, CBJ)

[Andy Dufresne]

Forget to write DO not Draft list in the 1st round, my bad. It would have been fine later in the Draft to take a chance, but too much risk in the first round with his injury history.

Ok, that's reasonable. Sorry for jumping on you. I still disagree in that i think he should have gone in the 1st round, but not at #4 OA for sure.
Somewhere around #13 onward his risk vs reward would have been better than the players in that range for me.

 

[Nicko999]

I am surprised he hasn't played at all this year. I had him him on my DND list (see post #273). I swear I could do a better job than half of those scouts.
A lot of my fellow Habs fan were ready to draft him.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I am surprised he hasn't played at all this year. I had him him on my DND list (see post #273). I swear I could do a better job than half of those scouts.
A lot of my fellow Habs fan were ready to draft him.

If Demidov was selected by the Jackets then the obvious pick for the Habs was Cayden despite the injury concerns imo.

 

[stevo61]

I am surprised he hasn't played at all this year. I had him him on my DND list (see post #273). I swear I could do a better job than half of those scouts.
A lot of my fellow Habs fan were ready to draft him.

That seals it, I was hoping he'd play as much as Reinbacher this year but he couldn't manage it.

 

[Michoulicious]

If Demidov was selected by the Jackets then the obvious pick for the Habs was Cayden despite the injury concerns imo.

He always was a DND in the top 10 with that herniated disc for me. He was not a McDavid you can gamble on in spite of that kind of injury with players like Iginla, Dickinson, Buium available.

 

[CBJx614]

He always was a DND in the top 10 with that herniated disc for me. He was not a McDavid you can gamble on in spite of that kind of injury with players like Iginla, Dickinson, Buium available.

I think that's the reason why he was taken, not so much that he was the next Mcdavid, but his ability to not only produce, but do so with a physical edge that is becoming more and more rare by the top scorers in the league.


Having said that I do believe a Waddell admitted they (FO and the doctors) thought he'd be back around the holidays.

At this point though, they've kept him around the NHL team all season, he's back on the ice and I would imagine they'll be cautious ramping him up throughout the rest of the season and then work on getting him back to game shape throughout the off-season.

If we're having this conversation still in preseason... That's when I'll start to get worried. He won't be the first or last player to miss a full season due to an injury, you miss 2+ that starts to become a different story.

 

[Michoulicious]

I think that's the reason why he was taken, not so much that he was the next Mcdavid, but his ability to not only produce, but do so with a physical edge that is becoming more and more rare by the top scorers in the league.


Having said that I do believe a Waddell admitted they (FO and the doctors) thought he'd be back around the holidays.

At this point though, they've kept him around the NHL team all season, he's back on the ice and I would imagine they'll be cautious ramping him up throughout the rest of the season and then work on getting him back to game shape throughout the off-season.

If we're having this conversation still in preseason... That's when I'll start to get worried. He won't be the first or last player to miss a full season due to an injury, you miss 2+ that starts to become a different story.

I agree about missing a season not being a 100% sign of being a bust, but my concern is missing it because of a herniated disc and not a knee/shoulder injury...

A herniated disc is rarely something that gets "healed" 100% or that never comes back... The "timeline" of those are hard to predict and aggravations, hard to prevent.

Many young hockey players will be able to have productive pro careers after a ACL/MCL/meniscal surgery. They probably will develop problems later in life (typically in their 40s) but it is after their careers are over and they don't need the level of function they needed as pro athletes anymore... Which is crazy high.

People with those back problems are often happy to get back to basic level of function after prolonged pain/incapacity period... Early aggravations that can often happen are very tough on the psychology as well... And hockey being a very physical sport, if you fear all the time making it worse, it can dramatically change the way you play

Anyways, like I always said I really wish the kid the best... I was not saying last year he was a DND in the top 10 for fun. If he ends up being a star player even with a herniated disc at 18 years old, that would be an incredible story.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

That seals it, I was hoping he'd play as much as Reinbacher this year but he couldn't manage it.

He played 32 games, in two years, no wonder you hoped he would play as much as Reinbacher, this year...

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

He always was a DND in the top 10 with that herniated disc for me. He was not a McDavid you can gamble on in spite of that kind of injury with players like Iginla, Dickinson, Buium available.

Even without injuries, he's overrated, because of his size, speed and for some obscure reasons, people see him as a center.

 

[viceroy]

That seals it, I was hoping he'd play as much as Reinbacher this year but he couldn't manage it.

Well Reinbacher's back in the AHL and has been looking terrific. I hope Lindstrom can do the same but anyone that tells you that his return's a given is lying to you.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

That seals it, I was hoping he'd play as much as Reinbacher this year but he couldn't manage it.

One player has a pre-existing injury BEFORE he was associated with any team and you chose to be butthurt.

Oh wait, that happens a lot with this poster.

You win some, you lose some. No need to get upset every time someone says something negative about Columbus.

 

[stevo61]

One player has a pre-existing injury BEFORE he was associated with any team and you chose to be butthurt.

Oh wait, that happens a lot with this poster.

You win some, you lose some. No need to get upset every time someone says something negative about Columbus.

Have no idea if this is a win or loss, just like everyone else. It's more to do with the player and injury than the team that drafted him. I knew what his injury was and was comfortable saying he was my slightly preferred pick before the draft happened but would have been happy with either he or Demidov. He could be in Montreal and my opinion on his health wouldn't change. As someone who has gone through a similar thing at an older age and with less support I know there can be a light at the end of the tunnel so no, I'm not going to simply agree with the fact this was a loss because we simply do not know yet. Could it be? Obviously.

Teams take risks of certain varieties for certain posistions/roles all the time. Columbus has, Montreal has and you are right sometimes it's a win and sometimes it's a loss. Do injuries add a different wrinkle some are obviously less comfortable with? Seems that way but it's not hard to see why a management group takes that risk on a rare breed of player and honestly if Columbus didn't I bet Montreal would have.

 

[stevo61]

Well Reinbacher's back in the AHL and has been looking terrific. I hope Lindstrom can do the same but anyone that tells you that his return's a given is lying to you.

Excellent, going to be a solid player someday

 

[Nicko999]

If Demidov was selected by the Jackets then the obvious pick for the Habs was Cayden despite the injury concerns imo.

I would have preferred Iginla instead of Lindstrom. Buium or Parekh had Iginla been gone.
Lindstrom was an absolute no go under no circumstance.

 

[CBJx614]

I would have preferred Iginla instead of Lindstrom. Buium or Parekh had Iginla been gone.
Lindstrom was an absolute no go under no circumstance.

If the Jackets should've taken anyone instead of Lindstrom it should've been Demidov.

Marchenko-Demidov-Voronkov next season or two could be absolutely lethal