Blue Jackets pick Cayden Lindstrom 4th overall

The Columbus Blue Jackets selected center Cayden Lindstrom with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Cayden Lindstrom

Lindstrom battled injuries in the latter half of the season, but he showed enough promise at the start of the campaign to still finish third on Central Scouting's North American skaters list. He offers an NHL-ready frame, along with impressive puck skills and speed for a player of his size. Lindstrom has all the tools needed to be an impact player once he enters the league.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said Lindstrom was the organization's top-ranked player after first overall pick Macklin Celebrini, per The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. The executive added that they had a fallback trade in place if Lindstrom wasn't available at No. 4.

What they're saying

"He has the quick twitch feet of a smaller forward and can get by opposing defenders," wrote The Athletic's Corey Pronman, who ranked Lindstrom 11th among this year's prospects. "He's a big, powerful center with a ton of physicality in his game. Lindstrom has good offensive skills and can score goals. His playmaking is something I've questioned at times, although he's shown good instances this season."