Prospect Update: Roger McQueen

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks drafted forward Roger McQueen in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, 10th overall. After playing in the WHL for three years, McQueen moved to the NCAA this past season and played for Providence College. When his freshman year ended, he joined the San Diego Gulls for the end of their season.

In his only year of college hockey, McQueen had a good but not great season. He scored 11 goals and 27 points in 36 games and finished second on the team in assists, tied for third in goals, and third in points. He was one of 10 players to appear in every game for Providence, which might be the most impressive stat for the freshman. McQueen also finished second on the team in shots with 107. He picked up his first career assist in his third college game, which kicked off a four-game assist streak. He scored the first two goals of his college career in mid-November, while also picking up an assist for a three point night. He was one of several Anaheim prospects to participate in the NCAA tournament, but they lost 5-2 to Quinnipiac. McQueen was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year.

After his college season was over, McQueen signed an ATO to join San Diego to end the season. He played in seven games, scoring a goal and three points, and usually played as the team’s second line center, next to Sam Colangelo and Matthew Phillips. McQueen played in both of San Diego’s playoff games but was scoreless.

If McQueen had been healthy in his draft year, he probably would have been gone by the time the Ducks stepped up to the podium. However, his lengthy back injury made a lot of teams wary of taking the big center. McQueen is a good skater who can both shoot and pass the puck very well. He stands at 6’5” and uses that size to his advantage. If McQueen develops properly, he could become Anaheim’s next great power forward.

McQueen will likely be in the AHL for much of this season, possibly centering San Diego’s second line. However, there’s a good chance he could make his NHL debut this season. The Ducks are pretty set at center with Leo Carlsson, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling, and Tim Washe. However, if any of them suffer an injury or if McQueen is playing that well, he’ll likely get the call to come to Anaheim.

In his first professional season, I don’t want to set expectations too high for McQueen, but he also showed flashes of why he was a top 10 pick in the AHL at the end of last season. First, I’d like to see him keep getting time on San Diego’s second line. When he joined the team, McQueen took over Jan Mysak’s spot in the lineup, and I’d like to see him keep it for much of this season. Second, I’d like to see him get some time on San Diego’s powerplay. Finally, I’d like to see him record at least 36 points with the Gulls, giving him an average of a point every other game.

McQueen’s three-year entry-level contract will begin this year, and he’ll be a restricted free agent when it’s over. Hopefully, he’ll have established himself as a NHL player by then. If he has, he’ll be in line for a one-way deal, possibly for several years. However, if he’s still getting regular time in the AHL, he’ll probably end up signing a two-way deal for a year or two instead.

With the prospect updates complete, next up I’ll be ranking the strength of Anaheim’s prospect positions.

Related Articles:

Prospect Update: Stian Solberg

Prospect Update: Tristan Luneau

Prospect Update: Emile Guite

Prospect Update: Tarin Smith

Prospect Update: Damian Clara

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September 9th, 2026