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Hulking 6'6" Center Emerges as Top Option to Go 11th Overall to the Penguins
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Penguins hold the 11th overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft, and they're being projected to take a towering 6'6 forward from the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins landed the 11th pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, and they could also potentially have the 12th pick if the New York Rangers choose not to utilize it.
The Rangers must inform them of their intentions at least 48 hours before the festivities begin on June 27.
Until then, the Penguins are reviewing their options for the 11th pick and are projected to go with help on the offensive side of the puck by one Pittsburgh analyst.
Kelsey Surmacz of The Hockey News projects the Penguins to land towering 6'6 forward Roger McQueen, who is currently with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings.
In her scouting report of McQueen, Surmacz writes that not only is he an effective power play presence but that he has all of the potential to be the prototype NHL player that most clubs covet.
The big forward is good with the puck on his stick, and he is quite effective down low and at the net-front, especially on the power play, as seven of his 21 goals in 2023-24 came on the man advantage. He can also take the puck end-to-end with a powerful stride and the ability to deke out opponents along the way.
Any player with size and skill is attractive to NHL teams, and that's not a secret. If McQueen can continue to put up numbers and produce - as well as build on his skating just a bit - the sky is the limit for him becoming an effective power forward at the NHL level....Overall, McQueen is an intriguing prospect, and he has all the tools to be the kind of player that any NHL team would want to deploy every night.
Because of an injury, McQueen was limited to just 17 games this year, scoring 20 points (10G, 10A). The previous year, he had 51 points (21G, 30A) in 53 games.
| POLL | ||
MAI 17 | 89 ANSWERS Hulking 6'6" Center Emerges as Top Option to Go 11th Overall to the Penguins Would you be comfortable with Roger McQueen of the Brandon Wheat Kings as Pittsburgh's 1st round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft? | ||
| Yes | 72 | 80.9 % |
| No | 17 | 19.1 % |
| List of polls | ||