Roger McQueen was a prospect making a ton of noise entering his draft year. The hulking 6-foot-5 forward had NHL size, recorded 51 points in 53 games last season in the Western Hockey League, and had eight goals in eight games before an injury sidelined him on October 11th. He has been a massive loss for the Brandon Wheat Kings, who still sit fifth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 25-16-6 record.
McQueen missed some critical events in his draft year, notably the CHL vs. USHL showcase and the possible chance to attend the World Junior Development Camp. If McQueen had kept the pace he showed through the season’s first eight games, he would have undoubtedly been an option for Team Canada with his size and strength. He could’ve joined Matthew Schaefer and Porter Martone as draft-eligible prospects and helped the roster that disappointed the nation.
Scar Tissue for NHL Front Offices
McQueen still holds a No. 5 ranking from NHL Central Scouting amongst North American skaters. His highest ranking from public scouting services was No. 5 from EliteProspects and McKeen’s Hockey, while he fell to as low as No. 16 in The Hockey News. McQueen’s ranking is all over the board, which is unsurprising when he hasn’t played a shift since October 11th. It may not be as concerning if scouts hadn’t seen this situation happen just a year ago.
“It’s going to be challenging for a team to look at McQueen and take him in the top-five after seeing what happened with [Cayden] Lindstrom last season,” an ex-NHL scout told RG. “You know the [Columbus] Blue Jackets, and even the [Chicago] Blackhawks and [Anaheim] Ducks, to an extent, are kicking themselves looking at Ivan Demidov’s dominance in the KHL.”
The scout is referring to the Blue Jackets taking Lindstrom with the fourth-overall pick in last year’s NHL Draft. There were concerns with Lindstrom’s injury history, as he battled a bad back all of his draft year, playing just 32 games in the regular season and four in the playoffs. Columbus believed the injury was behind him and took the chance, but Lindstrom hasn’t played a game yet this season, missing a crucial developmental year. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens took Demidov with the following pick, and he is breaking rookie records in the KHL.
It’s much too early to write off Lindstrom, but missing an entire season will be concerning. He is only 19 and has room to get past the back injury, but the similarities to McQueen are hard to ignore. Both are above average in size, play a similar game, and are missing a critical developmental year. No two situations are the same, but it wouldn’t be a massive error for any front office to use the example as a reason to think twice about McQueen.
McQueen had a setback in his recovery from the lower-body injury, putting him out for another six weeks. He is now on pace to return this month, giving him roughly the same number of games as Lindstrom in 2023-24. For one rival scout in the CHL, McQueen’s injury history is an enormous red flag.
Unlimited Potential for McQueen
So, over the last 12 months, McQueen suffered a back injury that kept him out for 15 games, played just two games at the World Under 18’s after an injury, and has been out with a lower-body injury since October. His injury issues won’t play in his favor in June when teams start calling names at the draft, but it could play in favor of a team picking later in the top ten. McQueen's injury concerns are worth the risk in a draft where the upside is limited after the top five.
“McQueen’s combination of size and skill could make him a force in the NHL.
He isn’t afraid to use that size, and if he can put on some more weight and fix his durability, he could be a productive power forward,” a current NHL scout told RG. “The skating could use some work, but they are fixable issues. It’s a heavy top end of the draft, but if McQueen had stayed healthy all season, scouts would have stood on tables to argue at the draft meetings that he goes number one in June.”
McQueen still has time to prove he is worthy of moving up the draft boards and becoming a top-five pick if he returns in February. However, I look at some teams that could pick in the 6-10 range and are likely salivating at the opportunity to take a chance. The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers stick out as teams in that range that would love a 6-foot-5 centerman anchoring their middle-six. The Boston Bruins are also a team contemplating a retool that could see value in selling at the trade deadline and getting a pick in that range to land McQueen.
“Take away the injuries, the inconsistencies, the late birthday. McQueen is a top-ten pick in this year’s draft who has first-overall qualities. Will everything go right and make him the stud of this draft class? There’s no way of saying for sure. However, I’d be cautious to box him into the corner of being a bust just because of a couple of unlucky injury seasons. The kid can be an animal in 4–5 years.”
NHL scouts will watch McQueen closely when he returns to Brandon’s lineup. If the Wheat Kings can make a playoff run, expect the hype around the draft-eligible center to build along with it. If McQueen doesn’t get a chance to prove his untapped potential, then your favorite team could get a steal in the mid-first round at the NHL Draft.
Nate Duffett
