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The 2025 NHL Draft has some high-end talent, despite its reputation as an underwhelming class in totality. Perhaps no talent is more intriguing in the first round than center Roger McQueen. McQueen’s stock has fluctuated over the last few months. On Friday, though, he finally landed with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks drafted McQueen with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Brandon Wheat Kings star was in contention to go No. 1 in this draft. However, he missed significant time in 2024-25, which ultimately took him out of that conversation.
There is a lot of discussion around McQueen’s potential in the NHL. It’s not a matter of how high his ceiling is. The conversation around the newest Ducks prospect is whether he can stay on the ice enough to reach his full potential.
What Ducks fans must know about Roger McQueen
As mentioned, McQueen was a candidate to go first overall at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. And it seemed like he was on track to make a good account for himself. He scored eight goals in his first 12 WHL games this season.
Unfortunately, things came to a screeching halt after that. A back injury cost McQueen five months of the 2024-25 season. He did return in March, playing 17 games in total for the 2024-25 WHL season. However, he also dealt with an injury in the WHL Playoffs.
If we are talking strictly talent, McQueen is one of the best players in the class, no doubt. His 6’5” frame is the exact sort of size teams want from the center ice position. The Wheat Kings star is not a power forward, but he is a net front presence and will throw the body. Additionally, he is a dual threat in the offensive zone thanks to his passing and shooting ability.
Few players in the 2025 NHL Draft have the upside McQueen has. The Ducks were comfortable enough with his medicals to take him with the No. 10 on Friday night. Let’s see if he rewards the team’s faith and becomes the elite player many see in him.
