Matthew Buckley Commits to RPI
The sharpshooter out of the OHL provides much-needed goal scoring potential
Eric Lang and Cory Schneider made a splash this summer with their first few junior commitments, most notably sharpshooting Oshawa General Matthew Buckley. Buckley’s commitment speaks to the shifting landscape in college hockey and how the recently expanded pool of available players opens quite a few doors for the Engineers. Coach Lang said to us in our interview last week that the program wants to be “experts” in the OHL and QMJHL and truly establish a pipeline from the Canadian Major Junior leagues. While the portal will expedite the rebuild, building through junior hockey pipelines is still the way to go in my opinion. This commitment is a sign of the program planting a flag in Eastern Canada, very similar to what Coach Lang did early on at AIC in Europe.
Game Breakdown
I like Buckley’s game a lot, the natural comp that comes to mind is a more well-rounded Chase Zieky. Buckley’s biggest asset is his shot, which Coach Lang said he expects to plant him firmly on a powerplay unit in his first season. Start at the 0:25 mark of this clip to see him bury one glove-side this past season.
Not only is his release excellent, but he also possesses strong hockey sense and finds himself in the right places to score goals. His 30 goals in the 2023-24 season were 2nd on an Oshawa team that was full of high draft picks, but this year he took a step back with just 13 goals. Lang said last week that he was “stuck behind 4 first-round picks” on a really strong Oshawa team, expressing confidence that the goal-scoring ability is there with the right opportunity. Here is another clip where Buckley shakes free in the high slot and snipes one above the goalie’s glove.
Buckley has flexibility to play wing and center, and his high compete level should only support that. I expect him to start on the wing this year as RPI has more centers than it can count, but also because it will make his transition much easier. He doesn’t necessarily project as an immediate PK fit, but I think he is more than capable in the defensive zone and will be trusted in those situations as he gains experience. He back-checks hard and his skill in the neutral zone will create turnovers and support Coach Lang’s desire to possess the puck more. He wore an A in Oshawa this year and all indications are that he is a very high character kid as well.
I see 3 things that he could elevate to round his game into a true, top-6 type of player. First, development as a playmaker would help him supplement the goal scoring and be more of a dual threat. Second, his stick is considered his best asset defensively but continual development to his defensive IQ would help if he ever transitioned to center. Finally, he is a goal scorer through and through as his shot is excellent, but improvement at finding soft spots in the defense will only help him going forward.
I think Buckley possesses all the offensive tools he needs to be highly productive in the middle 6 and potentially grow into a top player by the end of his career. He is in the recruiting sweet spot where he is good enough to contribute right away and also likely projects to be a 4-yr player here at RPI. If Coach Lang can stockpile recruits of Matt Buckley’s caliber, this rebuild will go incredibly smooth. I project Matt as a middle 6 winger to start his career with the potential to become a top-line, point-per-game producer before his career finishes. I’m excited to see him in the sniper’s nest on the powerplay and add a goal-scoring presence that RPI desperately needs this season.