COLUMBUS, Ohio — Don’t worry. None of this is unexpected, say the Columbus Blue Jackets. They knew they would need a lot of patience when they drafted center Cayden Lindstrom with the No. 4 overall pick in June.
Lindstrom, who missed much of last season with a back injury, has been limited for most of the summer as he works to get healthy again, which will be permanent for him and the club.
However, Lindstrom has already been ruled out of participation next month (September 13-16), when the club’s most promising talents travel to Buffalo for the NHL Prospects Challenge.
And as of Monday, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell acknowledged that Lindstrom will likely be “limited” when the team opens training camp at Nationwide Arena on Sept. 19. (Actually, he will be watched a day earlier, when players go through pre-camp physicals.)
“Before we signed him, we had all the MRIs, all the tests and everything else done by his agents and doctors,” Waddell said. “This is something he’s going to recover from, but we want to be really cautious with it. I’ve said all along we’re going to take it slow.”
“We have communicated very well on this, not only with Cayden and his agent, but also with our coaching staff and our doctors. He is obviously an important player for us and the focus is on the future. I have told everyone involved that I am not worried about today. I am looking to the future.
“It’s not like we’re trying to rush him into playing on opening night.”
Lindstrom has traveled from his home in Vancouver, BC, to Columbus several times this summer to train off the ice and work with the Blue Jackets’ medical and training staff. Both Waddell and Lindstrom’s agent, Daren Hermiston, agreed he is close to returning.
“But I think it’s fair to say he hasn’t pushed himself to the limit (in skating) all summer, like a lot of other guys,” Hermiston said. “So you can understand why they want to take it slow. They’ve been great with Cayden, they really have.”
Even if Lindstrom were declared medically healthy today, Waddell said Lindstrom has been off the ice so much this summer that there is “no chance” for him to play in Buffalo.
Hermiston declined to comment on Lindstrom’s injury, but the player told TSN before the draft: “It was a herniated disc. That’s really what it is. Things like that take a long time to heal.”
“It somehow affected the nerve in my leg and gave me a little bit of sciatica. It wasn’t anything too crazy. It’s just a matter of time. Nerve stuff takes a while to heal.”
The Blue Jackets had Lindstrom on the ice on the first day of development camp just days after the draft, but he did not participate in any contact drills. There were some lower-body speed drills that he skipped out of caution, and he watched the scrimmage at the end of camp from the stands.
“There’s no set date,” Waddell said. “There won’t be a set date. When the doctors say he’s ready to go, he’s ready. But I’m going to be the conservative here.”
Because of the injury, it is almost certain that Lindstrom will return to the Western Hockey League to spend another developmental season in Medicine Hat, which is probably where he should have gone even if he were perfectly healthy – Waddell has said he will be patient with his young players.
However, Waddell indicated that Lindstrom will not be sent to Medicine Hat until the Blue Jackets medical staff is sure he is ready to play. They don’t want to put pressure on him to return to action before he is 100 percent ready.
There is another issue surrounding Lindstrom: his contract, or lack thereof. Of the top 17 players drafted in June, 13 have already signed entry-level contracts. Lindstrom is the top pick who has not yet signed a contract.
Waddell said the delay in signing Lindstrom’s contract had nothing to do with concerns about his injury.
“Let’s go to training camp. I expect we’ll sign him in training camp,” Waddell said. “I told his agent that this summer. I’m not in a rush. I know they’re in a rush, but I promised them I’d sign him before he plays – even if we sent him back to the juniors.”
Hermiston said Lindstrom already has several endorsement deals in place, so he’s in a good financial position, but he would still appreciate the $98,000 signing bonus.
“(Cayden is) 18 years old, so he would have wished the deal had been done yesterday, right?” Hermiston said. “He’s not stressed or worried about it, but for any young player, it’s an accomplishment. It’s a dream come true.”
It won’t be long before Lindstrom is back on the ice. And it won’t be long before he gets paid as a professional athlete. Everything in its own time. For now, patience is the order of the day.
(Photo of Cayden Lindstrom at the 2024 NHL Draft: Jeff Speer / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
