Roger McQueen debuts for Ducks with Cutter Gauthier hurt

The first sign came Tuesday morning, before the Ducks had said anything, when word got out that McQueen was coming up from San Diego.

Elliotte Friedman

@FriedgeHNIC

2025 10th overall pick Roger McQueen is getting the call-up from AHL San Diego today. Could be making his NHL debut tonight

The bill came from Saturday night in Calgary. Anaheim won that one 4-2, but Gauthier and Poehling both left the game. Poehling got the worst of it. He was driving the net on a rush, got tripped by a Flames defender and his right knee slammed into the post. He needed help getting off the ice, and the diagnosis is an MCL sprain. He had a goal and an assist in under 12 minutes before he went down, too.

A couple of hours after Friedman's report, the Ducks made it official: Poehling to injured reserve, McQueen up to Anaheim.

Andrew Knoll

@AndrewKnollNHL

It's official, Poehling to IR, McQueen promoted for #flytogether

Then Quenneville gave the full injury picture. Gauthier tried to practice Monday and it didn't feel right, so he sits for now. Poehling is gone for 6-8 weeks. McQueen plays tonight.

Eric Francis

@EricFrancis

Joel Quenneville says Cutter Gauthier out day to day w upper body injury. Said he tried practicing yesterday but it didn’t feel right. Says Poehling is out 6-8 weeks. Roger McQueen to make his NHL debut tonight.

So who is this kid? McQueen is a 6-foot-6 center from Saskatoon. Anaheim took him 10th overall in 2025 even though an injury wrecked a lot of his draft year in Brandon. He spent last season at Providence College and put up 27 points in 36 games as a freshman, then signed a 3-year entry-level deal in April. He's started this season on fire in San Diego with 3 goals in 4 AHL games. Size, skill and a willingness to hit people is a pretty good pitch for a guy filling a middle-six center hole for the next month-plus.

He gets the same team that just sent 2 Ducks to the trainer's room. Calgary is in Anaheim for the rematch, and Dustin Wolf was in the starter's net at morning skate.

Eric Francis

@EricFrancis

Dustin Wolf in the starter’s net here in Anaheim this morning.

The thing to watch is Gauthier. Day-to-day with an upper-body injury after a failed practice is about as vague as hockey injury reports get, and Anaheim's top 6 looks a lot thinner without him. Poehling's 6-8 weeks takes away a third-line center who kills penalties, and that's where McQueen's leash comes from. If the big kid looks like he belongs tonight, there's a real chance this call-up lasts a lot longer than the injury does.