Thrilled by his potential upside, obviously, the Vancouver Canucks just bet $75-million on 20-year-old defenceman Zeev Buium. His new eight-year contract kicks in next summer.
He’ll make just more than $960,000 this coming campaign in the final season of his three-year entry-level contract.
The San Diego native came out of the US National Team Development Program, played two seasons at the University of Denver, and joined the Canucks via trade last December when Vancouver moved star D-man Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.
Buium was Minnesota’s first-round NHL Draft pick, 12th-overall, in 2024.
Buium joined the Wild for four playoff games in 2025 after his college hockey career wrapped up. Last season he had 14 points in 31 games before the deal, and another 12 points in 45 games with Vancouver. The shifty 6-foot, 185-pound blueliner missed a month of his rookie season with a bone fracture after taking a puck to the face in late January in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Buium is slightly taller than Hughes and six years younger, but comparisons have been made regarding their styles. “Huggy” has obviously had plenty of time to prove himself and become a star in the NHL, while the younger lefty still has to prove himself.
The deal will allow Buium to flourish, they hope, as the Canucks gradually play their way out of a rebuild. With just 76 NHL games under his belt, this contract is mostly based on potential and faith in his talent and continued improvement.
“Zeev has settled in nicely with our organization since his trade to Vancouver last season, and we are extremely happy to see him make this long-term commitment to the Canucks,” Vancouver general manager Ryan Johnson said. “He is a key member of our young core and a player we will build around moving forward. Zeev has a lot of upside, and we feel with his abilities he will flourish in the system and environment we are creating inside our locker room. We look forward to working together and creating a strong partnership and foundation for our future.”
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