Originally Posted by Sandman
Draft Thoughts (Monster Edition, Vol. 8):
RHC Roger McQueen (6'5",192lbs)
Brandon (WHL): 8gp/ 8g/ 3a/ 11pts, even, 18 PIM.
Roger McQueen is a huge, game-breaking pivot who plays a power game, but has been out of action with a back injury since early October. McQueen is an older player by draft standards, with an Oct 2nd birthday, and it seems like he's been around forever. At the 2023 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, when he was still only 16 years old, he was tied for 4th in scoring on Team Canada's Gold Medal winning squad, with 4 goals and 7 points in 5 games. He followed that up by posting 21 goals and 51 points for the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2023-24, but his regular season was cut a bit short by the same back injury that is plaguing him now. He managed to return for the playoffs, and contributed 4 goals and 5 points in 4 games. The numbers point to his goal-scoring as being his primary weapon, but I've always thought of him as a pass-first playmaker with top-notch vision and awareness, combined with well-developed passing skill. He does indeed possess a hard and heavy shot though, with an elite set of hands to beat goalies in-tight. This part of his game is augmented by his inate ability to locate open spaces to sneak into, with the timing to arrive in high-danger at the right moments. McQueen is a force down-low, and a dangerous net-front presence.
McQueen is an excellent skater, especially for his size, but a slight lack of power in his stride holds him back from being a burner. Still, he looks pretty smooth when it comes to technique and mechanics, and he's also reasonably agile, with the quickness to push pace and force defenders back. He has smooth hands and catches well, with superb puck-skill- and he can impressively deke and dangle around defenders with a set of refined deception tactics to manipulate opponents. His puck-protection is also outstanding, giving him the capability to handle around outstretched sticks, or out of the reach of checkers. McQueen plays a physical game, and sometimes shows a real mean edge-he finishes his checks, and he can dole out some thunderous hits. He goes to the hard areas and dominates with a competitive streak- he's tenacious and hard-working, and skates his routes hard. A massive wingspan gives him a huge advantage on the forecheck in dislodging pucks, and he brings this attribute to defensive situations as well, to block lanes, pick off passes, and poke pucks off of sticks. McQueen may not be Patrice Bergeron, but he doesn't cheat the game and always appears defensively engaged, highly aware, and well-positioned. He makes proactive stops in the neutral zone, and his range gives oncoming rushers fits. He's supportive of his teammates in battles, and will help his D down low. McQueen shows up to play in all three zones, and is a high-value transitional player who can rush the puck through the neutral zone just as effortlessly as he can find open teammates on the fly. He can stickhandle through, or around defenders for clean entries, and will transport the puck from one end to the other on occasion.
It will be interesting to see where McQueen is picked in the 2025 draft, as his situation appears to be strikingly similar to that of another big center, Cayden Lindstrom, who was selected 4th-overall in 2024 by Columbus, but hasn't played a game since December of 2023- due to a back injury. McQueen has NHL-attributes, and easily possesses top-5 talent, with very few real weaknesses- all he needs is to keep improving his skating power, and get stronger. If he can get over his injury, he's a top-line C in-waiting. Look for him in the top-6 of the 2025 draft.
|