The St. Louis Blues prospect report is back reviewing the club’s prospects playing in Canada and their progress made through the early portion of the season. As a reminder, this will be published monthly covering prospects in every junior league in Canada. However, all of the Blues prospects this season are currently playing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Here’s a look at the latest news and happenings surrounding the Blues prospects in Canada.
Michael Buchinger (Defenseman)
One of the core members of the Guelph Storm, defenseman Michael Buchinger has picked off where he left off during the 2022-23 season. This season, the offensive blueliner currently leads his team in assists, and is not only tied for the team lead in overall points, but is also tied for 14th overall in the OHL with four goals and 15 points through 13 games. The 19-year-old played a key role in the club’s 5-4 overtime victory registering two assists.
Dalibor Dvorský (Center/Right Wing)
After a collective decision to part ways with his Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team, IK Oskarshhamn, Dalibor Dvorský reported to the Sudbury Wolves to continue his development.
“After evaluating Dalibor’s situation in Sweden and talking with him and his representatives, we jointly decided that the opportunity to play regular minutes at Sudbury against his peer group in the OHL would be the best thing for his development at this time,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “We look forward to watching his continued growth as a player.”
Latest THW Headlines
The 18-year-old has not disappointed providing another layer of scoring firepower to an already talented roster. Dvorský quickly flashed his lethal scoring capabilities in his first game of the season with a third-period power play goal from a seemingly impossible angle. Through six games, the dynamic forward has logged three goals and six points and is currently on pace to record over 70 points in 60 OHL games.
Quinton Burns (Defenseman)
After suffering a lower-body injury during the NHL preseason, Blues prospect defenseman Quinton Burns returned to action with the Kingston Frontenacs. Through 13 games this season, the Frontenacs are struggling with a 5-8 record sitting in third place in their division and eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Now returned from injury, Burns has appeared in five games registering one assist on a give-and-go play with Paul Ludwinski. Though that play is the only assist he has recorded this season, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound defender still has plenty of upside to offer any team he suits up for, logging big minutes and taking the tough assignments on a nightly basis. He is currently on pace to record 12 assists over 60 games, along with a jaw-dropping 228 penalty minutes after accumulating 19 penalty minutes through his first five games of the year.
Matthew Mayich (Defenseman)
The 18-year-old defenseman is currently pointless through his first nine games of the season with the Ottawa 67’s with a minus-4 rating and 22 penalty minutes to his name. Matthew Mayich‘s first few games of the season have not been conducted in the best fashion. On Oct. 15, he was assessed a game misconduct and a two-game suspension after shooting the puck out of play after the whistle in the club’s eventual 4-0 victory against the Sudbury Wolves. The 170th overall draft choice by the Blues in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft has struggled out of the gate after scoring a career-high five goals and 22 points over 64 games during the 2022-23 season. He will look to get his game back under control with 12 games in November.
RELATED: Blues Weekly: Inconsistent Play, Vrana, Special Teams & More
The Blues’ prospects will look to either continue their scoring ways or get back on the right track as the 2023-24 season truly gets underway. Stay tuned for the next Blues prospect report released every Friday.
