Throughout the season, the St. Louis Blues Prospect Report will work to keep fans up to date on the latest happenings with prospects from around the globe. These will be published weekly, reviewing each area of the world’s hockey hotbeds. The 2023-24 Canadian Report will cover players in the Quebec Major Junior League (QMJHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Western Hockey League (WHL).
While this report will cover all of the Canadian leagues, this year’s class of Blues Canadian prospects all play in the OHL – unless something changes. The prospect pool features four players, including three defensemen. Here’s a look at some of the Blues players who have already kicked off their regular season.
Quinton Burns – Defenseman
Quinton Burns was selected 74th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and was the second defenseman taken by the club after Theo Lindstein at 29th overall. Potentially one of the more underrated defensemen in his draft class, he is a very strong transitional player with good mobility. He ended his draft season with 27 assists and 29 points through 54 games with the Kingston Frontenacs, and his solid performance earned him a spot on the Canadian U18 team at the World Junior Championships. He appeared in three games before suffering a tournament-ending lower-body injury.
Burns’ biggest asset is his high defensive IQ, consistently putting himself in a good position to break up plays and engaging the attacker to force turnovers. He still has a while to go before he is considered NHL-ready, but his intelligence in all three zones, smooth skating, and passing skills could propel him to a long career as a reliable bottom-six, penalty-killing defenseman.
Matthew Mayich – Defenseman
One of the older defensemen in the 2023 Draft, Matthew Mayich, is a defensive-minded blueliner who allows his partner to play an offensive game without fear of an odd-man rush. The sixth-round, 170th overall selection is a stay-at-home defender who can make heads-up plays with solid first passes out of the zone. While his defensive qualities are his bread and butter, Mayich has some modern-day offensive defensemen traits and qualities to showcase having produced five goals and 22 points over 64 regular season games during the 2022-23 season. He will need to continue to improve his game and his foot speed to crack an NHL roster, but he will likely develop into a seventh or eighth defenseman should he continue on this trajectory.
Michael Buchinger – Defenseman
While it may be early to pump the tires on a player like Michael Buchinger, there’s no telling what the Guelph Storm would have accomplished last season without him. The 5-foot-11 defender remained calm and cool no matter the circumstances or minutes thrown his way. The biggest question is how he will handle the transition from junior to the pro level. After compiling 52 assists and 67 points in 61 regular-season games, he recorded another three assists in six postseason games last season.
After a brief stint with the Blues in training camp, Buchinger was reassigned to the Storm in the OHL, where he has resumed his scoring ways, recording one goal and two points through his first two games of the season.
Landon Sim – Forward
The final selection of the Blues’ 2022 Draft class, London Knights forward Landon Sim could pay dividends for the team if developed properly. He has showcased a lot of skill, talent, and creativity during his time with the Knights. He scored 12 goals and 21 points in 64 games in 2021-22 and repeated that performance last season in eight fewer games, collecting 14 goals and seven assists. However, he has only recorded eight assists through 28 games in the postseason. Sim will likely need several years to continue his development before the Blues consider him as an NHL call-up. However, he could have plenty in store for Blues fans given his toolkit in all three zones.
Related: Blues September Prospect Report: Europe
The Blues’ prospect pool has began to thin out on its forward prospects in Canada and instead turned its attention to Europe for now to fill that need, finding multiple talented prospects in the process. The club’s talented roster and depth will allow these prospects time to properly develop and mold their game before turning their eyes on North America.
