Michael Buchinger is having a strong offensive season in the OHL for the Guelph Storm. The 19-year-old blueliner is currently fifth in OHL scoring for anyone his 19 or younger. Despite the strong production, questions remain about his projectability at the next level. So is he a diamond in the rough that fantasy managers should try to acquire? Or would you be better off looking elsewhere? We’ll dig into those questions and more.

Michael Buchinger, D0 (#4). After a teammate might have got away with an interference penalty on an opponent zone clear, makes a great stretch pass from the D-zone to catch the opponent on a bad change and create a 2-on-1 chance and goal. 2021-11-06#stlblues pic.twitter.com/gd0TrVvem7

— Fantasy Hockey Doctor - Victor Nuño (@VictorNuno12) January 20, 2024

Buchinger was drafted 88th overall in 2022 by the St. Louis Blues. The EP Rinkside team didn’t rank him and gave him an overall grade of a “D,” so suffice to say, we weren’t convinced. Despite the skepticism, there was recognized potential in Buchinger’s game. At his best, Buchinger demonstrated deft dekes, attacks to the middle, and slick set ups of his teammates.