By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
With the Boston Bruins in the middle of a nine-game losing streak, many fans are beginning to look toward the future, and it appears that the B’s front office is too. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney was reportedly in Lethbridge, Alberta, to watch Center prospect Roger McQueen play in the Western Hockey League playoffs Friday night according to the WHL broadcast.
McQueen, a late 2006 birth year, has had an up-and-down draft year. In his season debut for the Brandon Wheat Kings, McQueen had four goals in a win over the Moose Jaw Warriors. However, just a few games later on October 11th, he suffered a back injury missing the majority of the regular season.
The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native was able to return for the last few games of the regular season and is currently in the midst of a first-round playoff series against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. McQueen finished the regular season with ten goals and ten assists for a total of 20 points in 17 games and has one goal in Brandon’s three playoff games so far.
The Bruins are currently dead last in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference standings and are 28th overall. As a result, Boston holds the fifth-best odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery, with an 8.5% chance of winning the first overall selection. While the Bruins could potentially pick higher or lower than fifth, where does McQueen rank amongst his peers according to scouts?
Well, it depends on who you ask. McQueen is ranked as high as fifth by EliteProspects and Craig Button of TSN, and as low as 17th by Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News. NHL Central Scouting ranks him fifth among North American Skaters, and Bob McKenzie of TSN ranks him seventh overall. Based on these rankings, it seems very possible that McQueen could be available when the Bruins are on the clock in June. What makes McQueen an intriguing prospect?
For starters, McQueen is one of the biggest players in this Draft class. Standing at 6’5″, at only 192 lbs, there is still potential for McQueen to fill out his frame. He uses his frame to his advantage in front of the net, and physicality is another strength of his game. He also is a very skilled forward who can beat Goaltenders cleanly with his shot. Some scouts believe that if McQueen was able to stay healthy this season, he would be in contention for the first overall pick.
However, as with most prospects, there are some concerns. McQueen has suffered from multiple back injuries throughout his Junior Hockey career. This concern is perhaps being amplified by what happened to Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, and former fourth overall pick Cayden Lindstrom, who has missed the entirety of this year with a back injury. While McQueen’s production in the WHL has been solid, he is also one of the older players in this class, and may not have as much time to develop as other, younger players. It is hard to project when McQueen’s name will be called in June, however teams will be excited by his high ceiling.
Leave a Reply