The Anaheim Ducks held their annual development camp from June 30 to July 2. This year’s camp was shorter than the last couple of years, typically a five-day camp concluding with a 3v3 scrimmage.

The camp is used more as an instrument that allows newly drafted prospects to familiarize themselves with the organization, meet staff and potential future teammates, and take a nugget or two back home to train for the summer before rookie camp begins in Sept.

Though most of the drills are done at half or three-quarter speed and don’t necessarily simulate game situations, players were available to the media, and there were on-ice takeaways to be had from each player.

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The Ducks selected Roger McQueen with the tenth overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. Between hearing his name called by actor Joshua Jackson (star of the original Mighty Ducks films) and the end of development camp, McQueen had been on a wild ride, literally.

Moments after walking off stage and briefly meeting with media, McQueen was helicoptered to Disneyland for photo opportunities and to experience some of what the “most magical place on earth” has to offer, including meeting a character with the same last name, Lightning McQueen from Pixar’s “Cars” film franchise. The next day, he met with Ducks management and ownership, was spotted on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, and threw out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Angels baseball game.

“I always knew it was a great organization, everyone always talks about that,” McQueen said following the camp. “I learned management is so professional here, and just how they do things. I think the staff around the Ducks is unbelievable and probably the best. Just being able to work with all of them through everything, as far as workouts go on the ice or recovery after, it's ridiculous how good they are at that.

“And I think just all the guys that they have here, they really draft for the person, too. They're not just drafting on the ice, so I think just being around all the guys, they’re all great guys and guys you can really gel.”

McQueen has been considered a “unicorn” by some of the most expert prospect analysts in the sport. If he were healthy and had played a full season in the WHL for his club, the Brandon Wheat Kings, he would likely have been selected in the top three or five picks.

He spent most of his draft season recovering from a fracture in his vertebrae, originally misdiagnosed as a bulging disc. He was only able to suit up for 17 regular season games, where he totaled 20 points (10-10=20) and three playoff games. He sustained an injury during the playoffs, reportedly a muscle strain from overcompensation in a return to full game speed.

“Very, very extensive. We dug deep and consulted our doctors, Mike Barwis, our sports science guy,” Ducks general manager said of the work the organization put into exploring McQueen’s medicals. “There was a lot of due diligence put into this, into Roger, making sure that we did our homework. At the end of the day, we felt comfortable that he’s going to be able to overcome any of the setbacks he had last year.”

McQueen’s full participation in development camp was encouraging for fans and the organization alike. His situation was often compared to that of Cayden Lindstrom’s one year ago, who, like McQueen, suffered a back injury that caused him to miss the majority of his draft season.

Unlike McQueen’s injury, Lindstrom’s involved a disc in his back. Also unlike McQueen, Lindstrom only participated in one day of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ development camp, and he wasn’t able to return to game action until April of the following year. The hope is that, like with any broken bone, McQueen’s is fully healed and at no risk of re-aggravation.

Watching McQueen run through on-ice drills, one wouldn’t have guessed he’d missed such extended periods in the previous calendar year. It was also easy to see why, heading into the 2024-25 season, he was considered a top-five pick. His skill level is simply different than most of the prospects at this camp.

The aspect that immediately separates him is his puck skills. He has the quick-twitch, fast hands that get a multitude of clicks on social media, but more impressively still is the control he displays. Control of the puck in and out of tight turns, control of it when it’s far from his body, showing the extent of his reach, and control of it close to his feet, a skill rarely possessed by the tallest players in the NHL, were all exceedingly impressive.

His shot is NHL-caliber already, and he’s able to change angles on it, release it quickly, deceptively, and off either foot.

The skating, while far from flawless, is one of his biggest strengths, nonetheless. Long, powerful strides enable him to cover extraordinary distances on the ice. He can close on puck carriers board-to-board in the blink of an eye. He’s in complete control of his edges, again, something incredibly impressive for any player, young or veteran, of his size. With a touch more quickness and explosiveness, it could become a weapon unmatched by the time he’s in the NHL.

His camp culminated in a highlight reel rep in a one-on-one drill against Ducks 2024 first-round pick Beckett Sennecke, where McQueen shifted his weight, pulled the puck outside-in, caught Sennecke playing the puck, beat him wide, and pulled the puck between his own legs to beat Italy’s Olympic goaltender Damian Clara in tight and over his glove.

There aren’t many players in the NHL today who can do what McQueen can do at 18 years old and still growing into his body. The next steps will be to reincorporate these elite tools at game speed and in game situations, whether that’s back at the CHL level or taking the next jump to the NCAA, and add needed strength to his frame.

If he can truly put the vertebrae fracture and extended recovery behind him, as it seems he has, the potential for this player is nearly unfathomable. The tools are all present and elite, the IQ is impressive from game film, and if the toolbox is durable, look out.

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Photo Credit: Patrick Present-The Hockey News