The Blackhawks could use a lot more of what Cayden Lindstrom would bring to the team.
The Blackhawks could use a lot more of what Cayden Lindstrom would bring to the team.
The Chicago Blackhawks have the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and there is still a lot of speculation as to which player the team will actually take.
Macklin Celebrini will be taken first overall by San Jose, so that leaves a handful of very good young players to choose from for Chicago. The top of the draft features a number of defenseman, more so than forwards. This doesn't necessarily play into what the Blackhawks need as the organization already has the position stocked with Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier, Isaak Phillips, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, and Sam Rinzel.
The forward crop the Blackhawks possess is worse than their defensive depth and a top pick at forward could do wonders for the team sooner than later. What could be a nice change of pace from the mostly smaller group of young forwards the Blackhawks have is a 6-foot-4 Cayden Lindstrom.
This soon-to-be high pick in the 2024 draft is not going to make it to the Blackhawks' second first-round pick at 18 this year. He is ranked in the top-5 or top-10 by nearly every credible source for draft rankings. It may seem like a reach to look past Ivan Demidov, Artyom Levshunov, or others, but Lindstrom is going to be a force when he fully develops and makes his mark in the NHL.
It may make teams hesitate to take Lindstrom after an injury that allowed him to only play 32 games during the regular season in 2023-24, but the positives to his games heavily outweigh the risk after surgery to repair an upper-body injury. He says that he's on the ice four times a week, in the gym five or six times a week, and recovering well.
Lindstrom still scored 27 goals and 46 points in those 32 games. His size is a big reason why he could rise up to second and be taken by the Blackhawks. What makes him such a force is the combination or speed and size the 6'4 center possesses. He's described by Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News as a player with all the makings of a high pick.
Lindstrom doesn't just have size and speed, he uses both very well. He plays physically, making his size an even bigger factor. He will use his size and speed to cut to the middle to create offense or bull his way through the defense one way or another. There is a reason why Lindstrom scored nearly a goal-per-game this season.
Lindstrom said that the part of his game he likes the best and can sell himself to teams "is my speed. I like using my speed. I love going fast. I love protecting the puck and getting off the wall and charging the net in the paint."
He also noted his good hands down low which makes him a threat anywhere in the offensive zone.
There are few players in the NHL with size and speed that can utilize both, making Lindstrom a rare commodity to have. He could be a true centerman behind Connor Bedard to give the Blackhawks a deadly 1-2 punch sooner than later. This would ease any pressure for other Blackhawks prospects to succeed down the middle like Lukas Reichel or Oliver Moore.
Lindstrom is no slouch defensively, is always on the go, and is creative with the puck. There's a lot to like and not much not to like. Don't count Lindstrom out as being selected second overall just yet, as aside from his injury, he's a safe bet and brings so much to the table.
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