Forward Roger McQueen is a first-round pick this summer, and could hear his name called within the first 10 picks later this month.

Only one team took McQueen out to dinner at the NHL's scouting combine this week here in Buffalo, N.Y. -- the Penguins, set to pick at No. 11 overall.

McQueen was taken out by Kyle Dubas, assistant general manager Jason Spezza and vice president of player personnel Wes Clark.

McQueen told me that the meeting was a "remarkable moment" for him, particularly for the opportunity to speak with Spezza. Yeah, he thought it was "unbelievable" to chat with someone who had the NHL career that Spezza did, but what McQueen really appreciated was the chance to speak with a player who went through experiences similar to his own.

Spezza dealt with back injures during his career, first undergoing surgery in 2006 and then again in 2012 for a herniated disc, a surgery he said provided "instant relief" from his ongoing issues.

McQueen, 18, came into this past season being discussed as a potential first-overall pick, but saw his stock fall due to a back injury -- originally thought to be a slipped disc but later revealed to be spondylolysis, a stress fracture of the spine, that limited him to 17 games. Rapid growth spurts can make someone more susceptible to the fractures as their body adjusts to the increase in height, and at 6 foot 5 and 193 pounds, McQueen had shot up in height over the last few years.

It wasn't quite what Spezza dealt with, but in Spezza McQueen found someone who could understand his journey.

"Just being a guy who also dealt with back injuries through his career, being able to ask him on that, I thought he did a wonderful job in just being easy to talk to," McQueen said.

McQueen says that his back is at "a 10," and is the best he's felt in the last three years. He was a full participant in every fitness test at the combine (recording nine reps in the pull-up test) and has been cleared for contact on the ice for a month and a half.

McQueen was asked a lot about the back injury in his interviews with teams over the last week, and he was able to share that his doctors told him they "don't see anything coming forward" as far as back issues.

Even if a team has no concerns with McQueen's back moving forward, his limited sample size of 17 games in his draft year will still likely keep him out of the first few picks and instead somewhere in the Penguins' range. And if the Penguins do use their first-round pick on McQueen, they'd be getting a pretty great player.

Last season was McQueen's third year with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, and he showed well with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in his 17 games. The year prior, he recorded 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 53 games.

McQueen cited his "finesse" as his best attribute, adding, "I like playing with skill. I like trying to be a big guy that can move around the ice and be a skill guy in that sense. I also like playing physical. I think just being able to play both games, trying to find the happy medium between a skill game and a hard skill."

The Elite Prospects draft guide describes McQueen as a "highly-skilled offensive player" who "combines pace with mechanical refinement and a deep arsenal of tricks. Always in motion, he catches pucks inside crossovers, takes the middle, and attacks defenders one-on-one. He fakes one way before going the other, using his full wingspan to bait the defender and beat them to the other side. Just as skilled as a quick possession player, he makes first-touch plays into space and completes give-and-gos."

McQueen names another big-framed forward in Tage Thompson as a player he tries to model his game after, saying Thompson "offensively, is just unbelievable and can create anything with his size and pace of play. And I think his skill is top-notch." McQueen also pointed to Ryan Getzlaf as a player he can emulate for his ability to play "both a skill game and a heavy game" and Matthew Tkachuk for his ability to bring a "B game" in addition to a skill game.

As far as McQueen's future, it's up in the air. Recent eligibility rule changes now have players eligible for NCAA play after previously playing Canadian major junior hockey, and so some prospects are taking advantage of the change and moving from junior to college hockey. McQueen has been in contact with a few colleges, though hasn't gone as far as making any visits, and is open to moving to college if the team that drafts him decides that it's best. But McQueen also feels a loyalty to the Wheat Kings, and currently plans to return there if it remains up to him.

"We have a team there that can really do good in the playoffs and maybe win next year," McQueen said. "We have our teammates and guys there that really want to win, and we wanted to win for a while. And I think especially for Brandon, it's a winning organization. My No. 1 thing, actually, is bringing a Memorial Cup to them and try and do that for a town that gathers around the city so much. I really like the guys we added this summer, unbelievable players. So I think that's the biggest thing."

McQueen's limited playing time this year and injury history makes him somewhat of a risk of a pick, but he remains one of the most skilled players in this draft.

The Penguins need more high-end, top prospects in the system. If McQueen's back injury causes him to drop in the draft order, the Penguins could luck into a No. 1-level talent with their No. 11 pick.