Roger McQueen injury history: How a back issue cast doubt on potential top-five pick's draft odds

Heading into round one of the NHL draft Friday night, the expectation is that Roger McQueen will wind up being selected in the No. 10-15 range. Despite that, at one point, McQueen was projected a top-five pick.

In August 2023, McQueen started dealing with back issues while playing in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup; however, doctors initially misdiagnosed him with a bulging disc.

Despite that, he played the 2023-24 season, logging 51 points in 53 games before visiting a spinal surgeon in Winnipeg who identified the root cause of the problem.

As it turned out, McQueen didn't have a bulging disc, but rather a Pars Fracture of the Spine.

Although McQueen didn't need surgery to correct the injury, but because he played just 17 games, fans, analysts and scouts began to express concern over his status as a top prospect in this year's draft.

However, McQueen is healthy and ready to hit the ground running. In June, he spoke about the situation with NHL.com, saying:

"It was obviously huge to be able to get the sign. I kind of knew, just because, like, I've been pain-free for a while now. So, I kind of knew I was going to be cleared. Obviously, especially for me, a hurt guy, not playing all year, [it’s important] just to see that you're healthy."

Potential landing spots for Roger McQueen ahead of Friday night NHL draft

Roger McQueen is being considered the wildcard of the first round.

With his unique combination of size and skills, there's a real argument for him to go in the top 10. When factoring in the caution and concern given his injury history, however, it wouldn't be surprising to see him get selected in the 10-15 range.

While teams in the 6-10 bracket, such as the Flyers, Bruins, Kraken, Sabres, or Anaheim Ducks, may choose McQueen over players like Radim Mrtka, Jake O'Brien and Victor Eklund.

According to one anonymous Eastern Conference scout, who spoke to Bleacher Report, teams aren't sure what to think about McQueen ahead of the draft.

"I think (McQueen's) going to be kind of average at 5v5, but a 2C once you take the 200-foot game into account," the scout said.

Of course, this could be smoke and mirrors, with a team attempting to downplay his impact to make sure he's available when a respective team makes their pick.

With night one of the draft just hours away, it'll be interesting to see how things play out.

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Edited by Krutik Jain