Michael Buchinger

October 2023 – After playing 26:54 in just two preseason games, Buchinger was sent back down to the OHL. This will be Buchinger’s third season with the Guelph Storm, and given his significant increase in points last season, it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his production or if he will experience his development stagnating. Cédrick Blais-Turcotte

June 2023 – The smooth skating defenseman took another step in the right direction last season with an impressive 67 points in 61 games. This was 23 more points than his previous season. Buchinger’s abilities extended beyond offensive play; he was also excellent at preventing zone entries. He uses his long stick and is aggressiveness to stop the opponent from entering his zone. His value might skyrocket if he can keep this up. Cedrick Blais-Turcotte 

July 2022 – Buchinger  was drafted 88th overall by the St. Louis Blues. Pat Quinn

June 2022 – Buchinger played a key role for Guelph in his draft year, averaging over 21 minutes per game including plenty of time on both special teams units. His 44 points in 63 games were good enough for fourth-most among draft-eligible OHL defencemen, behind only Pavel Mintyukov, Christian Kyrou, and Ty Nelson.

Buchinger might not possess a dynamic quality to his game but he has a lot of attributes that NHL teams look for in a modern-day two-way defenceman. He has above-average skating ability and even if he doesn’t have the most explosive stride, his edge work and four-way mobility allow him to evade pressure with the puck on his stick and close quickly on opposing attackers. His gap control in defensive transition is also a strength as he is able to mirror the footwork of incoming puck carriers while utilizing intelligent stick placement to angle them to the outside. Buchinger moves the puck efficiently from the back end and will activate to join the rush where he can help create advantages for his team in transition. His mobility shows up in the offensive end as well with the way he is able to maneuver and control the blue line. He has decent vision from the point and can facilitate on the man advantage while keeping a look out for an open back door lane but his offensive upside at the pro level is still in question. Buchinger might not pop every time he hits the ice but he is the kind of player whose game you grow to appreciate over time due to his steady defensive play and mobility from the back end. He figures to be a relatively safe investment in the middle rounds of the 2022 NHL Draft. Nick Richard