Latest news with #RogerMcQueen
Ottawa Citizen
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
NHL Entry Draft: Roger McQueen serving up a first-round wild-card
Roger McQueen — a first-round prospect in this week's NHL Draft — has been asked about many things by now. Article content Article content Roger, that. Article content Turns out his dad, Scott — a former member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies who played in the Western Hockey League with the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades — is not only a big tennis fan, but also a big fan of tennis great Roger Federer. Article content Article content Article content 'Well, that's what my dad tells me — he's a huge Federer fan, a huge Federer fan,' stresses Roger McQueen. 'He tells me that. I'm not 100 per cent sure, but there's a great chance that I am named after Federer.' Article content When it comes to Roger McQueen, however, it's 100 per cent about hockey. Article content It's been like that ever since he grew up playing in the Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association's Bobcats zone and later with the Saskatoon AAA Blazers. Article content He's gone on to star for the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, who selected him fourth overall in the 2021 Prospects Draft, and internationally for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, World U-17 Hockey Challenge and World U-18 championship. Article content Article content However, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound McQueen enters this year's NHL Entry Draft with both an exclamation mark and a question mark attached to his name. Article content Article content Admittedly, he's a bit of a wild-card after missing most of this past season while recovering from a pars fracture of the spine, also known as spondylolysis. Article content McQueen doesn't mind being a so-called wild-card. If he is indeed considered one of those 'high-risk, high-reward' prospects, he hopes to reward the NHL team that picks him in a big way. Article content 'It's kind of cool, in a sense,' he says. 'Obviously, I wouldn't want the injury. But at the same time, it's healed and I'm excited to have a team draft me and have a healed version of me. It's exciting going into the draft and kind of being the wild-card, as everyone says.'
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL Draft risers and fallers, ranking top prospects, trading picks, more: Mailbag
Today, I answered some of your questions as the 2025 NHL Draft is quickly approaching. Note: Submitted questions may be edited for clarity and style. Which top center prospects for this draft are most likely to remain centers in the NHL, and which ones are most likely to have to transition to the wing? — M L. I feel like Caleb Desnoyers is the only completely sure thing to stay at center, and Roger McQueen, to an extent, if he's healthy. Michael Misa and Jake O'Brien have good cases, but how good they are off the puck will be minor questions. James Hagens will have his size questioned until the end. Clayton Keller was a center right until he turned pro, and then he wasn't. Mathew Barzal has gone back and forth. Jack Hughes is a center, but he's bad on draws. I think the dilemma for Hagens will be where he fits on that spectrum. Brady Martin could be a center, but not everyone in the league is sold that he's smart enough. The same goes for Anton Frondell, although he's bigger and has a slightly better case to stick there. Advertisement Do you think the Rangers will give their first-rounder to the Penguins this year? If they do, what would be the 'best' outcome for the Penguins at 11 and 12? — Dr C. My guess is that the Rangers keep the pick, but I could see them leaning against it. I would have to imagine they believe they are going to be better next season. The answer to both of your questions comes down to how the top group is defined. There are about 9-11 premium centers and defensemen in this group, and a couple of premium winger prospects. Given the Rangers' drafts of late, I can't imagine they want to take another winger at 12. But in order for that to happen, one of McQueen or Victor Eklund has to go ahead of them in order to get one of the top centers or, more likely, a defenseman. That outcome seems likely enough that they should keep the pick. If they didn't, Pittsburgh probably walks out of the draft with two future top-four defenseman, or a legit scoring winger (Carter Bear, Justin Carbonneau) and a defenseman (Kashawn Aitcheson, Jackson Smith). Seeing Sascha Boumedienne consistently mocked to Nashville (23) and L.A. (24), is there any chance he goes higher than that? What can we expect his range to be on draft night? — James P. It really comes down to how much his hockey sense concerns you. If a team doesn't think it's a major issue, and quite a few do, you're talking about a high-end skating 6-foot-2 defenseman with some puck skills. That's basically Tom Willander, who went 11th. Any top picks you think might happen that we didn't see coming? (like third last year) — Anton N. I probably wouldn't put a ceiling on where Brady Martin goes, but I feel that one has gotten out there already. There was some top-10 buzz on Jack Nesbitt a few months ago, but that died down after his U18 worlds. How come Peyton Kettles doesn't get more love? He reminds me so much of Brandon Carlo coming out of Tri-City. Big kid who is more adept at using his stick than his size at this point, but should be a player at the NHL level. — Robert C. There are quite a few defensemen who fit the profile (big, mobile, not very skilled): Kettles, Carter Amico, Max Psenicka, Jacob Rombach, Simon Wang. One of them probably plays 1,000 NHL games, but I can't guarantee which one it is. Advertisement If you had to rank the last three years' top prospects in one draft, how would it go? — Rick A. 1. Macklin Celebrini 2. Connor Bedard 3. Leo Carlsson 4. Adam Fantilli 5. Matvei Michkov Outside of the top tiers of the draft, who are your favorite prospects? Basically, if you were a scout for an NHL team, who are the players you'd be pounding the table for? — Tyler C. If I were running a table, I bet I would come out of the draft with one or both of Owen Conrad (D, Charlottetown) and Maxim Schafer (C, Berlin). Conrad is a 6-3 defenseman who can skate and has shown reasonable offense in the Q. He's not spectacular offensively or overly physical. Still, he checks a lot of boxes like other defenders with a similar profile, but doesn't seem to get the same hype. Schafer is a big, highly skilled forward who plays heavy, but his skating is an issue. He impressed me a lot at the U18s, and I would have the passion to get him in the mid rounds. What's the hardest aspect of a prospect to quantify as it relates to becoming an NHL regular? What's the easiest? — Chris L. It's easier to see who is fast or not, who is big or not, and to an extent, the level of skill a player has. The error rate is probably highest for projecting NHL-level hockey IQ, and to a lesser extent, their compete level. Where would you rank Joshua Ravensbergen compared to other first-round goalies taken in the last 10 years? — Rick W. He's pretty close stylistically and talent-wise to what Sebastian Cossa was at the same age. In your opinion, why are NHL teams so resistant to making trades in/out of the top five? — Mathew B. A few reasons. One is that, unlike the NFL, it's mostly a linear talent draft with positions playing a minor variable. So, chances are high that whichever player a team wants to desperately trade up for is also someone who can highly benefit your franchise. The second is that once you make that trade, as a manager, you are being judged on two players: The one you end up picking and the one you traded away from. Advertisement Most analysts have six top players. The Flyers' nightmare scenario is that Porter Martone is the last remaining of that tier when they pick at 6. If you're the Flyers with two top-line right wingers on the roster that are almost untradable, is Martone's perceived potential that much better than the next tier of centers? — Eric F. For the Bruins at 7: If Martone is there but they desperately need a center like Jake O'Brien, what would you do? — Ryan M. I love Martone, and I would be very excited to get him at 6 in a bubble. I also think you can move wingers around, even if they're uncomfortable playing on a new side; it's not ideal, but it's a situation you can figure out. That said, I don't think the centers Philly will be debating at 6 are light years inferior to Martone, even if I think there is a small gap. I would not be offended if they went past Martone to take the next center, because top-two-line pivots simply are next to nonexistent on the open market, so eventually you have to draft one. A similar line of thinking applies to the Bruins. Every year, it seems a guy who's projected or mocked in the 4-10 range falls into the 12-20 range, and vice versa. Who do you see potentially having a draft day fall into the latter half of the lottery? Who do you see potentially jumping into that 8-12 range that was projected in the mid-to-late first? — AJ D. In your draft confidential, there was a scout who said Eklund was overrated because he was a small winger without elite offense. I have heard that sentiment a few times now. However, almost every public draft list has him ranked 8-12. How far could he actually fall on draft day? — Real Bear C. Once the playoffs are over, you will find big guys rise, small guys fall, and players with toughness tend to rise too (i.e., Brady Martin). People in the league would bet on Hagens and Eklund falling from perception for those reasons. Regarding Eklund, I don't think he even is a serious consideration for teams picking in the single digits, even if I think he should be. What prospect has the widest variance in evaluations? Example: Some evaluators peg him in the top 10 while others have him as a mid-late second-rounder. — Chris D. Great question. Cole Reschny, Jack Nesbitt, Lynden Lakovic and Logan Hensler come to mind. I have talked to scouts who have some of those players in their top 15, and some who would struggle to call their names with a high second-round pick. Is there a prospect with questionable character traits that's likely to fall and possibly become a value pick? — Christopher G. The value pick part is hard to say, but the two guys teams have probably been beaten up the most in their background research are Ivan Ryabkin and Cameron Schmidt. I remember reading an article last year about the meanest player in the draft (Gabriel Eliasson) … any players this year fit the bill? Maybe outside of Aitcheson or any other projected first-rounder? — Michael B. Malte Vass, Eddie Genborg and Carter Klippenstein come to mind. Mace'o Phillips may be the closest thing, though, to a Gabriel Eliasson/Brady Cleveland type of player. Are any of the top picks this year considered to be NHL-ready? — Billy T. I think Schaefer and Misa have very good cases to play right away. Desnoyers and Martone are probably on the bubble. I could see them teasing at camp, but they probably need another year. How difficult is it for you, and for teams, to evaluate someone like Roger McQueen when they play so little? — Alexander H. Extremely. There are so many unknowns. You knew coming into the year that he was a very talented player. He's so big and fast, and has legit skill. But I had some questions from watching him in previous years. How elite is his hockey sense? How consistent can he be? He was not a super physical type and in his brief stint toward the end of the season when he came back he was highly chippy and physical. Is that really him? Advertisement We talk about Hagens' perceived fall, and that came with extra data. If Hagens blows his knee out in October, he's probably going top five, and he probably isn't now. But we got that data from him, we didn't get it from McQueen. I've talked to scouts who are convinced that if he played all year, he would have pushed guys like Schaefer and Misa. Do you think Ryker Lee will be taken in the first round? — Aavcocup A. Yes, he's in the group of players I think could go late first/high second. A more general question, but with players appearing on lists for the 2025 draft from, Slovenia, China, Italy, France, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, with other countries at the lower level of the top tournaments in Latvia, Denmark, sometimes Switzerland and Germany, is the World Junior Division 1A going to start getting more attention, and what non-traditional country do you feel will continue to produce more and more NHL talent? — Josh T. I certainly watch that event more than I would have 10 years ago. Several players made my final 125 in part because of how they looked there (i.e., the Danish players). For the Blackhawks: Would you rather pair Connor Bedard up with a high-IQ playmaker type (Martone or O'Brien) or a more pure scorer (Frondell)? I lean toward the playmaker, but I'm curious about a second opinion. — Untitled Probably the pass-first guy in a nutshell, as I think Bedard's best assets are his hands and shot. I do think despite Chicago's public wording about how it thinks Bedard and Frank Nazar are its long-term top-two-line centers, you have to think whoever the Blackhawks pick at No. 3 this year they view as a potential option down the middle as well to play with one of them, or at least give them the flexibility to do so. (Photos of Brady Martin and Victor Eklund: Dennis Pajot / Getty Images and Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 NHL Draft survey: Scouts dish on top defense prospects, Roger McQueen, Ivan Ryabkin
Welcome to my 2025 NHL Draft scouts survey. This year-end annual project polls NHL scouts with a different set of two or three questions each year, granting them anonymity to encourage honest — and hopefully candid — answers. This year, 16 scouts (including multiple directors) were sent three questions on hot-button topics in the 2025 class. They were asked which of the seven consensus top defensemen after Matthew Schaefer they liked the best and least, for their comfort level with Roger McQueen as a top-10 pick and for their opinions on difficult and mercurial Russian prospect Ivan Ryabkin. Here are the full results, plus some of the back-and-forths I had with them on their answers. A year ago, I asked a version of this question about the top D grouping in the 2024 class, and I thought it really worked, allowing scouts to reveal something about the group without asking them to just give me their rankings. Because slotting the D behind Schaefer has been a major topic of conversation in this year's draft, I decided to bring the question back. And the results were again really interesting. Advertisement Four different players received votes as the 'best' of the bunch: Mrtka (8), Smith (5), Reid (3) and Aitcheson (2). Reid and Aitcheson were also mentioned in the 'least' category. There was less of a consensus in the 'least' category, with five of the seven players getting a vote or a mention at the bottom of the group. Fiddler was most often slotted at the back (6), followed by Boumedienne (4), but Hensler and even Reid and Aitcheson were mentioned there as well. Scout 1: Best: Smith. Least: Boumedienne. Is it the decision-making/reads for you with Boumedienne? Yes, and the carelessness with which he makes the poor decisions. Scout 2: Best: Reid. Least: Aitcheson. Anything in particular you don't like about Aitcheson? Hockey sense. Scout 3: Out of that D group, I like Mrtka best and Boumedienne least. Scout 4: Best: Smith. Worst: Fiddler. Scout 5: Unfortunately, I can't answer based on a lack of information. The only opinion I can offer is I think Aitcheson will be overdrafted. Great kid who will end up playing in the league, but will always be fighting expectations early on, given how high he could end up going. You would have seen Reid a lot in the OHL. You prefer him to Aitcheson? I didn't see him listed at first … Yeah, I prefer Reid over Aitcheson, but it's close. Aitcheson had some big moments this year offensively; he had multiple OT winners this year, but outside of his shot, I don't see him being as offensive at the next level. Aitcheson plays hard and likes the physical stuff, but he's not a particularly strong defender. I see Reid as being a smarter player and a better skater than Aitcheson. But again, I didn't do huge deep dives on these guys this year. Scout 6: Every year, it seems we have a mushy group of first-round D. These guys are not as good as last year's crop. Smith and Aitcheson are at the top for me. Their offensive skill and activity in transition, combined with the physical tools you want from a top-4 D, makes them hard to pass over. They both need to learn to defend, but I believe that is a matter of development time. All the others are very good players and would be strong picks. I don't have much difference between them. Boumedienne is at the back of the pack, but not by much. There is a lot to like still; he moves pucks well and can skate. I just worry he is not dynamic enough offensively to be more than a bottom-pair puck mover. Curious: What holds Mrtka back from being in the group with Smith/Aitcheson for you, as opposed to that next group? I have him with Smith/Aitcheson. Advertisement I have Mrtka third in that group after Smith and Aitcheson. I don't think his production is a good indication of his impact on ice, and outside of size, he has no high-end attributes. He is too much of a project for me to want before either of the other two. Being well-rounded at his size should get him to the NHL, and his high-side could be the highest if he develops as one hopes, but there is more risk as well. Scout 7: Best is Smith. Worst is Boumedienne. Scout 8: Best: Mrtka. He's a project, but his potential is worth it. Least: Fiddler. His puck game isn't good. Scout 9: Best: Mrtka. Scout 10: I like Mrtka best (raw but in the very end, the best upside). I like Blake Fiddler least from this group (hockey sense is a bit questionable). Scout 11: Best: Mrtka. Least: Fiddler. I'm not too much different than your order. Scout 12: Can't answer the second and third questions (but) I like Mrtka among the D, personally. Scout 13: Top to bottom: 1. Aitcheson 2. Smith 3. Mrtka 4. Boumedienne 5. Hensler 6. Reid 7. Fiddler My D take likely puts (me) on an island … Sascha ahead of Reid is the only thing that jumps out versus the consensus there, really. Sascha has been the most common answer at the back of that group. I'm somewhat surprised at that. Sascha has a lot of work to do to complete his game — no question there. Just think the upside is pretty interesting if it comes together for him. Scout 14: Best would be Mrtka and Reid. These guys have an edge for me, IQ-wise. Like least would be Fiddler and Hensler. More questions on sense with these two at this stage. All nice players, but bring different assets. Scout 15: Best: Really close between Smith, Mrtka, Aitcheson. Smith in the lead. Least: Reid. The Reid part is interesting. You're the first to slot him at the back of that group. Advertisement If I'm being honest, I probably answered that from a team perspective. Myself, I may have Hensler lower. Scout 16: I've only seen the west kids. Same order as you put them in (Mrtka, Smith, Fiddler). There were more yes (8) answers than no (4) answers to this one, but it wasn't a clear consensus, other than that it's close. If the results here are an indication of the way it'll go for McQueen, it looks more likely that he goes top 10 than not, however. That he participated in the combine and did well in interviews seems to have helped move some from apprehension to willingness, even if it didn't get everyone to outright confidence. Scout 1: No. Scout 2: Yes. Scout 3: I would be OK taking a chance late top 10 on McQueen. Scout 4: Yes, but it's close. Scout 5: Loved McQueen the first time I saw him back at the U17 camp in Calgary. Looked like he was going to be a star. But back injuries are a black hole, so it's a bit of a shame. Scout 6: He is saying/doing all the right things to assure teams that his back is not an issue. Draft-year injuries should not be deciding factors if you can get a sense of a player's value. In this case, there are enough games over the last two years to make an assessment of the player. His profile: a big, productive center that has underlying skill, usually goes in the top 10. I don't feel he is out of place there. Scout 7: I have no problem with McQueen in the top 10. Scout 8: Yes, it's not like there are 10 elite talents in this draft, so might as well. Scout 10: I wouldn't take Roger McQueen in the top 10. He is a mid-first-rounder in my books. Scout 11: No (but I didn't see enough of McQueen). Scout 13: Yes. Scout 14: I'd be comfortable taking him. While it's not ideal and there would be a level of risk, his talent and potential to be a star are higher than most. Advertisement Scout 15: No, worried about trouble there. One of the most common things I heard coming out of the NHL Combine was that Ryabkin — whose attitude, maturity, discipline and even fitness had already been talked about for more than a year as an issue — was that his interviews went really poorly (even more poorly than expected in some cases). He also looked like he was in horrible shape. And so this question felt like it could be revealing of the gap between the player's perceived talent level and the actual range that teams might consider taking him. Predictably, the answers were all over the place. Some teams don't even have him on their lists, and one director told me his team didn't interview him because it was a 'waste of time.' Others view him as a first-round talent and would consider even taking him as early as the late-first or second round. But the consensus seemed to be that he was a late-first/second-round talent and a Round 3-5 pick. Scout 1: Second round. Fifth round. Not a fan of the person or the player. Scout 2: Haven't seen him. Scout 3: Ryabkin is a first-round talent that you maybe take a chance on on Day 2, like (Igor) Chernyshov last year. Scout 4: Round 2 on talent (though that definition is tough). Probably consider Round 3-4. Seems like a big faller, but we'll see. Scout 5: Don't know much about Ryabkin other than a lot of the chatter I've heard from scouts is that he is a major red flag. Scout 6: Does a player have talent if he never shows it? His impact on games this year was very muted. If he were more impactful given the talent his underage play showed, he would be in the mid-to-late first alongside the other slightly undersized incomplete but dynamic forwards. Given how far his game has gotten off the rails, I would be willing to take the calculated risk on his talent after making a couple other selections — third round. Advertisement Scout 7: Ryabkin's not on our list. Scout 8: On talent, probably first round. With all the big red flags on him, third round at the earliest. Scout 10: On talent alone, Ryabkin's top six in the draft. Personally, I would draft him late first round. I have some personality doubts. Scout 11: Mid-first talent. Second round. Scout 13: First round/third round, but that's because I have a lot of seconds I like. Scout 14: I can only speak to what I saw this season, so talent would be mid-first. His stats from the past indicate he's got more skill, though. I just haven't seen that this season. Scout 15: Early Round 2 on talent, Round 4 earliest with all the stuff that comes with it. (Photos of Jackson Smith and Radim Mrtka: Dennis Pajot and Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
Forbes
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Top 2025 Draft Prospects Put Through The Paces At NHL Scouting Combine
After missing most of the 2024-25 season due to injury, 2025 NHL draft prospect Roger McQueen was a ... More full participant in the June 7 fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/NHLI via Getty Images) Looking through the newly released lists of the top historical performers in fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine, it's clear that the correlation between high test results and NHL success is, let's say, loose. There are certainly some familiar stars among the top 20 all-time performers in each of the eight categories, as well as some developing players who have not yet reached the NHL level. All told, it's a reminder that physical testing is only one component of the combine, and not a clear predictor of future NHL success. The formal part of 2025 edition, which ran from June 2-7 in Buffalo, also included medical evaluations and the opportunities for teams to meet with the 90 prospects on hand and get to know them better ahead of the 2025 Draft later this month. And with the draft moving to a decentralized format that won't bring hockey's powerbrokers together in Los Angeles, this year's combine was also an important opportunity for GMs and agents to gather and start laying the foundation for off-season trades and signings. From a medical standpoint, the biggest news of the week is that top prospects Matthew Schaefer and Roger McQueen were cleared to participate in the fitness testing despite missing large parts of their seasons due to injuries. Top 2025 NHL draft prospect Matthew Schaefer prepares to perform the Wingate Cycle Ergometer test ... More during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combineon June 7, 2025 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/NHLI via Getty Images) Schaefer, a defenseman with the OHL's Erie Otters, went wire-to-wire as the top-ranked North American skater in the 2024-25 rankings from NHL Central Scouting. After a standout showing as captain of Canada's gold-medal team at last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Schaefer posted 22 points in 17 games with Erie last fall before breaking his clavicle at the wold junior championship. While pronouncing himself 'fully healed,' Schaefer did not take part in the upper-body-centric bench press or pull-up tests at the combine, 'because I haven't been doing that,' he told reporters. He did rank 15th in the grueling VO2Max bike test of aerobic fitness and measured well in both peak and mean anaerobic performance and grip strength. McQueen, a center with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings who clocked in at 6-foot-5.25 and 198 pounds, brings the kind of size in the middle that NHL teams covet. But he has struggled with back issues for the last two years. After missing five months of the 2024-25 regular season, he returned to the Wheat Kings in March, but played just three playoff games before being sidelined once again. Originally misdiagnosed with a bulging disk, a surgeon discovered a spinal fracture during McQueen's time off this season, and got him on a proper healing regimen. The playoff injury was a muscle issue related to the fracture, McQueen told reporters this week. After two weeks of healing, he's now at 100 percent. Sitting eighth among North American skaters in the Central Scouting rankings despite having missed so much time, McQueen passed his medical at the combine and took part in all the fitness tests. His best showing was an eighth-place finish in the horizontal jump. Carter Bear poses for a portrait during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine at the HarborCenter on June ... More 05, 2025 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images) Two other top-ranked prospects were not able to participate in the fitness testing. Carter Bear, a left wing with the WHL's Everett Silvertips, was leading his team in scoring with 82 points in 56 games when he suffered a partial tear of his Achilles tendon in early March. Ranked 10th among North American skaters, Bear is back on the ice and told reporters at the combine that his physiotherapist says he's a month ahead of schedule in his recovery. Because he has just begun doing weight-bearing exercises on his injured leg, he did not take part in any of the fitness testing, but expects to be 100 percent for training camp. Caleb Desnoyers, ranked seventh among North American skaters, attended the combine just days after his Moncton Wildcats were eliminated in the semi-final of the CHL's 2025 Memorial Cup. He also did not test, as he is dealing with wrist issues. After their draft-lottery win a month ago, the New York Islanders hold the top pick in the 2025 draft. According to Mike Morreale of new Islanders GM Mathieu Darche took nothing for granted, interviewing more than 60 of the 90 players on hand at the combine over the course of the week. Another hot topic around the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine was the new opportunity for CHL players to join NCAA squads starting next season. The biggest names at the combine who have announced their intention to change tracks next year were 17th-ranked left wing Malcolm Spence of the Erie Otters, who's headed to the University of Michigan, and 25th-ranked center Cole Reschny of the Victoria Royals, who has committed to the University of North Dakota. Other participants have yet to make their final decisions; some will be visiting schools during the weeks leading up to the draft on June 27-28.
