No NHL team can resist the appeal of a 6-foot-5, creative, highly skilled, and physical centre.

Roger McQueen is not yet all of those things, but he's trending toward becoming that player. We've been following his progress for multiple years now, and his development seems to be accelerating. He's becoming a more agile mover, an even better stickhandler, and is learning to impose himself physically. He could be breaking out at just the right time.

He has only played one weekend of games so far this season, but what a weekend it was. He scored four goals in the opener, added two assists in the next game, and looked like a dominant force. We expect to see him line up more of those performances over the course of the 2024–25 season.

By the end of it, he could become a first overall candidate.

Jame