Forget about Cayden Lindstrom coming to Montreal: it's confirmed

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David St-Jean
June 1, 2024 (3:54 PM)

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Many fans are clamoring for the young and powerful Cayden Lindstrom to be picked at the 5th overall spot.

Standing at an already impressive 6'3" and 210 lbs, Lindstrom would undoubtedly fill a need for the Canadiens as a center and bring an interesting physical dimension to complement Juraj Slafkovsky in the top 6.

However, more and more people are speaking against this choice, and Lindstrom is slipping in the rankings. It's true that his 27 goals and 46 points in 32 games are impressive statistics, but one must not forget that he plays on Gavin McKenna's team, the next Connor McDavid.

According to Jean-Charles Lajoie, the Canadiens' needs are more on the wing, and they wouldn't select the center Lindstrom.

"I think at this point, the Canadiens will look for a potential top 6 winger with good hands and respectable physicality. A guy who wants the puck and knows there's a price to pay to get it. A guy with grit, who understands what it takes for his team to succeed and contribute, because he's been well taught for a long time."

JiC is referring to Tij Iginla, who finished the last campaign with 84 points, including 47 goals in 64 games.

Additionally, Scott Wheeler believes Lindstrom will slide around the 10th spot, and the Canadiens will select Berkly Catton. With 116 points this year, he could be picked very early.

"Some defensemen are my best players available here, but with David Reinbacher, Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, and Logan Mailloux, and a clear need at center, I'm not sure the gap between the available defensemen and the best centers is big enough for me to double down. Catton provides a dimension of skating and skill that the Canadiens' core could really use. I prefer him over Cayden Lindstrom, Tij Iginla (a winger), and other available forwards. If the Canadiens had taken advantage a year ago, this decision would have been easier for me." - Scott Wheeler

In short, the fact that Lindstrom plays with McKenna and has been seriously injured is lowering his rankings.

We'll soon know who Kent Hughes wants to select, but if his choice is Tij Iginla, he might complete a trade to move down a few spots.

Source TVA Sports
CE N'EST PAS CAYDEN LINDSTROM QUE LE CH DOIT REPÊCHER

POLL
Which of these players would you most like Kent Hughes and the Canadiens to select in the 2024 draft?
Tij Iginla	282	37.9 %
Cayden Lindstrom	284	38.2 %
Berkly Catton	134	18 %
Other	44	5.9 %
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