Summer Spotlight: Lindstrom boasts a bright future

In the leadup to training camp in September, BlueJackets.com is featuring CBJ players each weekday this summer.

How he got here: Lindstrom raced up draft boards a season ago and was chosen by the Blue Jackets with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 draft this summer. A strong player growing up in the northern edges of British Columbia, he moved to the Vancouver area at age 14 and eventually made it to the Western Hockey League, where he posted a 19-23-42 line in 61 games in 2022-23. Last year was a breakout season, though, as he was among the top scorers in the WHL before missing most of the second half with injury. Still, his big frame and overwhelming skill made him one of the top picks in this summer’s draft.

The 2023-24 season: There’s only one word to describe Lindstrom’s season a year ago with Medicine Hat of the WHL – dominant, as he scored 27 times in 32 games, including eight multigoal games and 16 multipoint games. He likely would have contended for the goal scoring title in the WHL had injuries not ended his regular season just before Christmas, though he did return for four playoff games. Those numbers made Lindstrom – a big, talented, physical pivot – one of the most coveted after players in the 2024 draft, and he was named the top prospect in the CHL last season.

Top moment: As we noted above, Lindstrom was twice as likely to score multiple points in a game as he was to finish scoreless this past season with Medicine Hat. The most impressive performance came Oct. 27, though, as Lindstrom posted a two-goal, five-point night in a 7-4 win over Edmonton. The Oil Kings actually led 4-0 after the first period, but Lindstrom scored the Tigers’ second and third goals of the game and assisted on Gavin McKenna’s tying tally before Medicine Hat pulled away.

Fun facts: Lindstrom is a member of the Driftpile Cree Nation and hails from tiny Chetwynd, a city of around 2,500 people in northeast British Columbia. He’s already familiar with a number of CBJ draft picks from this year’s class, having played with such names as Charlie Elick and Evan Gardner over the years. He was also a standout baseball player growing up and threw out the first pitch at a Clippers game when he was in Columbus for the team’s annual development camp.

Stat to Know: Usually we go with something hockey related in this spot, but here’s a number that stands out about Lindstrom away from the ice. Per NHL Public Relations, Lindstrom ran a 4.38 second 40-meter dash during training this past offseason, showing just what an athlete he is. Speed is one of his top atttributes on the ice and certainly away from it as well.

Expectations for 2024-25: Lindstrom said he plans to come to training camp with the goal of making the CBJ squad, but the much more likely scenario given he missed half of last season is that he will return to a Medicine Hat team gearing up for a Memorial Cup run. There’s nothing wrong with that, as Lindstrom will get the chance to continue to develop and show he has what it takes to be a standout at the NHL level without being rushed. He should be in consideration for Canada’s World Juniors squad and lead a team with high hopes this upcoming campaign.