Montreal Canadiens have a massive chance to land Cayden Lindstrom with the No. 5 overall pick

Cayden Lindstrom could slide because of injury-riddled season

Cayden Lindstrom didn't have the draft year that he hoped for, missing half of the season due to injury.

While that could have affected his draft stock, scouts know all too well that Lindstrom isn't a flash in the pan. Lindstrom bested his previous career high of 42 points in 61 games, scoring 46 in 32 games this year. The power forward/centre also suited up for four playoff games, scoring two points.

Should Lindstrom slip to the Habs, Kent Hughes should feel like a kid on Christmas morning, because a player with his skills at his size is very rare. Adding him into the Canadiens' top six, with Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky already there would make the team difficult to play against. I can picture glimpses of the Habs in the playoffs, being able to ice a line of three 6-foot-4 forwards to put the opposition on their heels.

Lindstrom likely still hasn't scratched the surface of what he will inevitably become. With Canadiens director of player development Adam Nicholas working hand-in-hand with Lindstrom, he could develop into a cornerstone piece for the Habs. Slafkovsky was an example of a project with high potential and I think if Lindstrom has some fun and works hard with his development, he can become a dominant player who loves to play with a physical edge.

Lindstrom spoke about the idea of playing for the Habs alongside Slafkovsky, which we know would be a dominant duo. But he also hinted at playing with Cole Caufield, which you can just imagine the scenarios that a power forward, with a physical edge, that is more natural than Slafkovsky's would create. Despite how the top six is configured, adding Lindstrom to the fold could open up many different configurations.