Why Roger McQueen is the 2025 NHL Draft’s most fascinating top prospect

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Roger McQueen is the top prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft who will create the most debates for teams with an early pick. Standing at 6-foot-5, McQueen is exactly the type of player NHL teams dream of: a big, skilled center who can skate, has high-end skill and plays physical and is a right shot to boot. Before injuries disrupted his season in the fall, McQueen was viewed in NHL circles as a potential candidate for the No. 1 pick, especially after his scorching start to the season, where he scored eight goals in his first 12 WHL games for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

What was even more impressive this season compared to previous ones was the edge he added to his play. McQueen was at times tentative before with a razor-thin frame, but this year, even after returning from a serious injury, he was highly physical and scrappy. He has a knack for getting to high-danger scoring areas and consistently demonstrates excellent puck skill and vision. He has the potential to be a first-line center in the NHL.

“Players with his skill set are top-five picks all day long,” one NHL scout said. Another scout was even more explicit about McQueen’s value, stating, “On pure talent, he’s a top-three pick. He does what Anton Frondell does while being four inches taller.”

However, the optimism surrounding McQueen comes with significant medical uncertainty. His most recent season was marred by a back injury, forcing him to miss extended time during the regular season. After returning briefly, he suffered another setback during the playoffs for Brandon, causing further concern among NHL evaluators.

Back injuries are notoriously challenging for NHL teams to project, ranking alongside concussions as the most unpredictable health issues facing prospects. The recent experience with Cayden Lindstrom, selected fourth by Columbus in the 2024 NHL Draft, underscores these risks. Lindstrom had a similarly serious back injury, although NHL teams believe McQueen’s injury is less severe than Lindstrom’s at the same point. Lindstrom had a herniated disc in his back. McQueen’s injury is believed by some to be a bulging disc, although other sources claim it is a stress fracture, which is what McQueen has said in interviews. Despite mixed medical evaluations on Lindstrom — some teams’ doctors cleared him, while others hesitated and advised their clubs not to pick him. He just recently returned to playing for his WHL team after the back injury concerns started in the fall of 2023. An NHL executive bluntly summarized the dilemma, saying, “Our doctors’ opinions are going to be just as important as the hockey people’s.”

In a survey of NHL teams about how they would approach McQueen, they often pointed to the question of the next best alternative. The class boasts several great center prospects, including Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, Caleb Desnoyers, James Hagens and Jake O’Brien or winger Porter Martone. These alternatives provide NHL teams with several players who are arguably as good or at least close enough. “It’s hard to justify taking McQueen top five or six,” one scout said. “There are some really good forwards at the top of this draft. Just take one of them — why risk your job?” An NHL executive echoed this sentiment: “When you’re picking top five, top 10, you need to get a player. You can’t afford to have the guy miss due to injury — that gets you fired.”

Despite these legitimate concerns, McQueen’s upside remains undeniably appealing, especially once the top, safer prospects are off the board. As another NHL scout pointed out, the talent gap becomes substantial after the clear-cut elite players: “There is a drop-off — be it after five, six, or seven players, however your list goes. Once the no-doubters are gone, you have to start seriously discussing McQueen even with the risks. The drop-off from him to guys like Carter Bear, Justin Carbonneau, Brady Martin, etc., is pretty steep.”

NHL teams will have to balance how difficult it is to find true first-line centers with the size, skill and edge McQueen offers. Passing on him might mean missing out on an impact talent who you can build a winner around. Conversely, picking him could lead to significant career risks for management if his injuries persist. This scenario creates an intricate risk-reward calculation balancing the hockey and medical information.

In a 2025 draft class that lacks compelling storylines, McQueen’s draft slot and future may be the most fascinating. Who will roll the dice?

(Photo of Roger McQueen: Jeremy Champagne / Brandon Wheat Kings)

This news was originally published on this post .

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