Zeev Buium

October 2026 –  Buium has started the season cold, with a single assist in his first ten games. As of writing, the Canucks are 2-7-1 with 30 goals, so the offense has yet to start firing on all cylinders team-wide, though Elias Pettersson is a point-per-game forward again, and veteran Filip Hronek has six points in as many games as Buium. So what could be causing the lull?

The simple answers are the classic ‘sophomore slump’ or that team in general is cold, but neither its perfectly fitting on its own. Ten games is a small sample size, and the first ten games of the year come with their own particular wrinkles as teams get up to speed, but we can see a few trends for these games for Buium that appear different than last. Firstly, Buium’s ice time is up to start the year vs the sum of last- 21:10 a night vs 19:35, but he is receiving only 32% of available powerplay time versus 48% last year.

Buium isn’t a volume shooter or hitter, and his pace for both this year (.80 and .10 per game) fall below the .96 and .37 last year. On the positive side, he continues to start more shifts in the offensive zone than any other Canuck.

Filip Hronek is playing 25:26 a night, and seeing 62% of the powerplay time, and equally as much on the penalty kill. This likely won’t continue, and the Canucks will definitely aim to give Buium every chance to get going and find his stride prior to his $9.38M per year contract kicks in. Buium is still a fantastic dynasty asset, and the offense will get going. The downside with Buium is that when he is cold like he is currently, he doesn’t supply much else- though in fairness he is averaging three blocks a game- and this could open up a long term buy opportunity as he nears the expiration of his farm status in many leagues, as well as his big pay day. Don’t sell too early, don’t over pay, now is a good time for fantasy managers to get an idea how he specifically fits into your fantasy plans over the course of the season. Alex Wyatt

September 2025 – Buium is one of the best prospects in the sport, regardless of position. He is a dynamic skater and one of the most impactful puck movers in hockey. He will absolutely start the year with the Wild and certainly be given every opportunity to showcase what he can do. Buium has not played a regular season game, only joining the club for four playoff games. The only question after his dominant career at the University of Denver was how he would adjust to NHL action and speed. In the playoffs against a hard-to-play-against Vegas Golden Knights, Buium quickly put those questions to bed. Buium has certainly risen to the top of the Wild’s prospect list, but also near the top of the league-wide prospect rankings. Nick Orr

April 2025 – The Minnesota Wild signed Buium to a three-year, entry-level contract on April 13, 2025; he could make his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Mark Henry

June 2024 – Buium was selected 12th overall by the Wild. Pat Quinn

November 2023 – With all the hype in the NCAA regarding Celebrini and Levshunov, it’s easy to forget Zeev Buium is also playing there. It’s a shame because he’s been fantastic since arriving. His trademark mobility is as present as ever, and he now employs multiple layers of deception at numerous levels. Whether it’s his evasiveness in transition or his speed on the rush, very little can keep Buium from where he wants to go on the ice. His passing game is remarkable, as he can identify soft ice regularly, even at this intermediate level. However, much of this was already well-documented; what isn’t how well he evolved defensively. He has become a rather proficient stick-checker and much better at anticipating play. When he is being beaten, it’s usually a matter of pure athleticism as he plays exclusively against older, bigger men, a task hard enough before his relatively slim 5-11 165lb frame is considered. He has plenty of time to get there, and he looks plenty impressive as is. If he continues this path, he can make his placement on draft day tough conversation. David Saad (November Rankings: 21st Overall)