Roger McQueen is an 18-year-old right-handed forward that has spent the past four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings. He was born on October 2, 2006 in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. McQueen spent five months of the 2024-25 season with a spinal stress fracture, commonly known s spondylosis. He is projected to be drafted in the top 10 during the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Draft Projection
#6 Inside The Rink
#7 TSN Bob McKenzie
#8 NHL Central Scouting North American Skaters
Diving Deeper
With McQueen’s injury that had him sidelined from October 11th until March 4th, he was limited to just 17 regular season games, however, he still managed to put up 10 goals and 10 assists throughout those games. During the Wheat Kings brief playoff run, McQueen appeared in three games with just one assist.
Hockey IQ
McQueen dominates games with his skillful puck moving and positioning. Despite his six-foot-five stature, he manages to weave in and out of traffic with ease, keeping the puck close to his frame. He has a strong net-front presence and is able to deceive goaltenders to throw them off balance, all while blocking the goalies line of sight. McQueen has strong edges and skating abilities and has learned how to use his size in order to generate speed.
One of the most interesting forwards eligible in the upcoming draft, especially with all the time missed due to injury, the 6-foot-5 centre for the Wheat Kings, on paper, has the tools to make you salivate. Watch his highlight reels and marvel at his ability to deke defencemen and spin them around, doing it all in tight to his body, despite his massive frame; look at his elite instinct to get to goal-scoring positions undetected; and of course, he can use his enormous frame and size to play physically. That said, the big question is whether he can put all of his tools together and do it on a consistent basis.
Tom Watson, SMAHT Scouting
Room For Improvement
McQueen tends to be near the play unfolding on the ice but not quite able to get in defensively, although he is able to use his speed to maneuver in quickly. This is an area that he could improve on. Typically, McQueen isn’t an all-around threat on the ice, which raises concern for his overall hockey sense.
Final Thoughts
Following McQueen’s injury, he struggled to get back up to his normal speed during gameplay. He does have a history of injury, so the drafting team will need to consider if the high risk on a potentially injury prone player is worth it. Despite all of this, he is a strong forward and if given the chance to develop properly, McQueen could become a solid two-way star centre.
ITR 49: For Real This Time – Inside The Rink
Discover more from Inside The Rink
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
