Remember that name, Roger McQueen. He’s not the new protagonist of the series Cars from Disney. Rather, a specimen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) which makes any list of National Hockey League (NHL) teams in anticipation of the 2025 draft incomplete.
It is often with foam at the mouth that recruiters spy McQueen. He’s 6’6″, moves like a feather, has a devastating shot… but he’s only played eight games so far in his pivotal draft year due to an upper-body injury that has kept him on the sidelines since October 11. Which did not prevent Central Recruitment from giving him fifth place in its mid-season ranking.
“When he becomes a man, sky is the limit», Illustrated by telephone Marty Murray, head coach of McQueen and general manager of the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL. McQueen showed a glimpse of that immense potential three months ago with a six-point night, including four goals, in the season opener in Brandon.
A recruiter who spoke behind the scenes to expert Cam Robinson even sees him in the running for the very first pick if he manages to come back and stay in shape.
“You never know, you know,” Murray reacted to this statement. It just takes a top tier team looking for a player like that. He has the skills to be in these conversations. 6’6” players with elite skills, they don’t grow on trees.”
But it’s easy for Central to rank McQueen fifth or for a recruiter to make that statement. For an NHL team to draft him fifth, or even first, is a different story. With such a limited number of views, this is a real leap of faith.
In such circumstances, Murray enjoys increased popularity this year. He says he received calls from the 32 teams on the circuit about his thoroughbred.
“People get the news and they feel bad,” said the hockey man. They shouldn’t. I understand that they have to do their homework. I just can’t wait for Roger to come back. It’s heartbreaking for him to be on the sidelines during such an important year.”
Courtesy Brandon Wheat Kings
Worry
In the Wheat Kings entourage, we live on hope. McQueen’s injury keeps everyone on edge.
Last season, the young man missed around fifteen matches due to a disc protrusion. He then made it a point of honor to strengthen his back and gain flexibility over the summer, in order to prevent further problems of this kind.
Due to medical confidentiality, Murray could not confirm that McQueen was again bothered by a back injury, but he alluded to a “problem that has been bothering him for some time.”
Until a return to play, the days are endless for McQueen. Sustained physical activity is strictly prohibited. Essentially, he is ordered to do nothing.
“He will have a medical resonance imaging test at the end of the month to be re-evaluated, sometime between January 25 and 30,” Murray revealed. We hope to get answers. Lately, Roger has been feeling better than he has in a long time. This is encouraging because for a long time, no significant progress was observed.
-“We are excited by this news. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a good result at the end of the month.”
If the results are good news, McQueen could see action again in the middle of February in the most optimistic scenario. The reality is that he will have very little time to find his bearings and impress recruiters.
“What’s frustrating for him is that he feels a lot better and he probably wants to restart the machine right now, but he has to heal 100%,” explained the Wheat Kings GM. It’s going to take a little time. Before we reinstate him in the lineup, he will need to regain his strength and match form. You want him to come back with full confidence and for there to be no doubt in his mind on the ice.”
Courtesy Brandon Wheat Kings
Take Thompson and Mats Sundin
It may be extremely difficult to evaluate McQueen. First, a recruiter must put his credibility on the line. Then, a CEO must be willing to play poker and make the kind of difficult decision that justifies his salary.
A team like the Canadian, for example, already has a lot of prospects in its pool and it could afford to invest in a project like McQueen. If the latter slips in the rankings, the game could be worth it.
The sample size is thin this season, but we draft a player based on what he could become. What McQueen could become is Tage Thompson.
“It’s hard not to compare him to him,” Murray said. Currently, he is light for his size at 190 lbs, but we assume he will play at 215 or 220 lbs. We’re talking about two massive right-handed strikers who can score goals. [Thompson]it’s a name we’ve heard a lot since McQueen joined our program.”
We can also think of Mats Sundin, whom Murray, a former forward, faced during his 261-game NHL career.
“I’m not saying that McQueen is going to the Hall of Fame,” he said, “but when Roger reaches his physical maturity, he could look like him on an ice rink.”
Still, no matter how much McQueen might be compared to Eric Lindros, a team that ventures into drafting him will want to understand the implications of the problem that chronically affects him at such a young age.
McQueen’s case is that of a young giraffe betrayed by a dazzling growth spurt. And this is the second of this kind in two years for a very high caliber prospect.
We will put this issue under the microscope in the next report to be published.
