In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock this week or just haven’t taken a glance at Spartan Avenue, it’s development camp week in the NHL and Michigan State is well-represented.
All of Michigan State’s first-round incoming freshmen are headed to development camps as well as the other four who went in the second to the seventh rounds this pasy weekend. Teams across the league are going to have an Adam Nightingale product at their camp and a couple of them won’t have to travel too far.
One of the few teams with multiple Michigan State draftees is just a little bit (a few hours) southeast of East Lansing. The Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t draft a Spartan this year, but they did two summers ago and they’re also bringing in an undrafted Michigan State player.
Cayden Lindstrom and Tommi Mannisto are both competing at the Blue Jackets’ dev camp this week.
Lindstrom was the No. 4 overall pick by the Blue Jackets in 2024 and the 2004-born “power forward” is looking to bounce back after a relatively disappointing freshman season in East Lansing. He accounted for just three goals and seven assists in 2025-26 and was a penalty machine — he had a whopping 94 penalty minutes this past season.
Mannisto is an undrafted Spartan from Finland who’s entering his final season at Michigan State. He’s gotten better each year since 2023-24, going from just one goal and nine assists to 12 goals and nine assists this past year as a junior.
Both guys will have a chance to impress the Blue Jackets this week.
Cayden Lindstrom, Tommi Mannisto both facing huge seasons
Lindstrom was heavily criticized by the fanbase for not quite playing like a fourth overall pick and exuding a little recklessness on the ice. He had just 10 points in 31 games which isn’t going to cut it for a guy who wants to be a top-liner.
If he lives up to the hype and has a big year, I think the Blue Jackets take a serious look at bringing him in sooner rather than later. If he struggles, they might lose hope in his growth.
Mannisto is facing a big year for a different reason. He’s past his draft eligibility as an international prospect where the age limit is 21; he turned 22 in February. He’s looking to catch on with an NHL team and the Blue Jackets are getting a firsthand look at him before he wraps up his final year at Michigan State. This could be an opportunity for him to land a contract.
Both of these guys need to have big years if they plan on having long NHL futures.
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