Cayden Lindstrom a Prime Draft Target for the Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens have a few clear-cut targets for their first pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, but few would be as good a fit as Cayden Lindstrom.

When NHL betting odds predicted a bottom-five finish for the Montreal Canadiens this season, excitement over the Habs’ first selection instantly picked up; who would be the reward for this third season of misery?

Obviously, winning the NHL Draft Lottery and selecting Macklin Celebrini would be a game-changer for the franchise. But, assuming all things stay as they are and the Canadiens select 5th or 6th overall, then few players fit the bill for the organization quite like Cayden Lindstrom.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, the physical power-forward exploded up the rankings this season with a strong start to his WHL season. Although it was eventually cut short due to a broken hand and a subsequent back injury, many believe Lindstrom could be one of the Canadiens’ top targets leading up to the 2024 NHL Draft.

Montreal Hockey Now recently sat down with the 18-year-old forward to get his feel on how his game is evolving, his current health status and what he thinks about the possibility of playing for the Montreal Canadiens down the line.

Tailor-Made

In his exit interview last week, general manager Kent Hughes admitted that he felt his club currently lacked the scoring punch and physicality necessary to compete with the best teams in the NHL.

Enter Cayden Lindstrom.

“My best qualities are my goal-scoring ability, physical play and high competitive level,” said Lindstrom when asked to describe his best attributes. “I like to drive to the net, and use my size to cause havoc in the danger areas.”

Having put up  27 goals and 19 assists for 46 points in just 32 games this season, it would be an understatement to call Lindstrom a goal-scorer, as he used his unique combination of size and speed to get to open areas with ease to unleash his heavy shot at will.

“I think my shooting can improve even more,” admitted Lindstrom when talking about what he could change in his game. “I think working on changing my angles and faking out goalies is a part of my game that I can get better at to score even more and open up space for my teammates.”

But, Lindstrom believes he’s capable of showing much more than just goal-scoring, citing that he wants to show he can be much more than a regular crash-and-bang power-forward; but rather a physical forward that can combine scoring and skill for…