Most can't... Some can. The Ducks certainly did with their selection of Roger McQueen with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

McQueen is a big boy at 6-foot-5, capable of plastering a player to the boards with his strength, but also able to pull the puck between several defenders sticks and finish top shelf. There's plenty to like about his game, with Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek going for the high upside swing.

The major concern with McQueen has been his health, with a back fracture keeping him out for five months and then a muscle injury related to his back fracture putting him out for the rest of the season. The back issue began in 2023 and was initially misdiagnosed as a bulging disc. He played through it during the 2023-24 season, but continued to have issues. It wasn't until the beginning of the 2024-25 season that it was properly diagnosed.

A full participant at the scouting combine, McQueen says he is now pain-free and doesn't have any symptoms stemming from his back injury.

"I think being off (the ice for so long) really helped me (develop my skills)," McQueen said during his post-draft availability. "I think the other side of the game, the mental side, really got a lot sharper for me in the sense of just having five months off to take that on myself and work on that. I think just being able to stay positive and stay resilient really helped me out. The other side of the game is watching our team play. You learn a lot (by doing that) too."

A grand slam swing, Roger McQueen is an Anaheim Duck. He models his game after Ducks legend Ryan Getzlaf and was the only prospect reported to have had dinner with the team during the combine week. A fracture in his vertebrae cost him to miss all but 17 regular season games and three playoff games.
He's huge, moves well, and has terrific hockey sense. Were it not for his injury, he may have been a top-five pick, even top three. The Ducks were in a great position to take a high-risk/high-reward player, and if he hits, McQueen will be a member of a potent and difficult trio down the middle in Anaheim with Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson.   

- THN Anaheim reporter Patrick Present on Roger McQueen being selected 10th overall by the Ducks

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Featured image caption: Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Roger McQueen is selected as the tenth overall pick to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images