On Friday, general manager Bill Guerin woke up and shocked the hockey world. Using the equivalent of four first-round picks, Quinn Hughes changed sweaters. Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, and Marco Rossi were also part of the blockbuster deal.

While Hughes has yet to step onto the ice at Grand Casino Arena, the newly acquired Canucks made their first appearances Sunday afternoon.

Zeev Buium Makes Immediate Impact for Vancouver Canucks

After being traded by the Minnesota Wild, Zeev Buium needed time to link up Vancouver in New Jersey. Rather than heading west, the rookie joined the team on its road trip. He wasted no time making an impact, scoring a goal and assisting on the other in a 2-1 win.

First Canucks game.
First Canucks goal.

Welcome to Vancouver, Zeev Buium! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ylY4mTTQ5L

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 14, 2025

Those two made for an impressive first impression and earned Buium a place in the record books. He became the first defenseman in franchise history to record multiple points in the first period of his Canucks debut.

Buium made his Minnesota Wild debut last season during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. During his rookie campaign this year, he appeared in 31 games, tallying three goals and 11 assists while averaging nearly 18 1/2 minutes of ice time per game.

In his Canucks debut, Buium logged 19:50 of ice time, finished even on the plus-minus, and added a blocked shot.

Beyond Buium, former Wild players Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren also made their Vancouver debuts. Rossi recorded a shot on goal and blocked three in 18:16 of ice time. Ohgran finished minus-one with a shot and a blocked shot in 11:39.

It’s possible the former Wild talent works out well for Vancouver, and Buium almost certainly will. Still, Hughes remains one of the best players in the sport and brings playoff experience, with a chance to build on his 30 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

But on Friday evening, the move we’ve all been holding our breaths for finally happened, and it kind of came out of nowhere. Yes, Marco Rossi was sent out in the deal, along with a first round draft pick. Liam Ohgren is going to Vancouver, as well.

To the surprise of fans across MN Wild territory, however, prized rookie defenseman Zeev Buium was also part of the package sent across the USA border.

Minnesota Wild land another superstar in trade with Vancouver

But you can’t get talent unless you are willing to give it up. And coming to St. Paul, in return for the haul youngsters going to the Canucks is freshly-turned 26-year-old, 2x All-Star and Norris Trophy winning defenseman, Quinn Hughes, who leaves Vancouver as their points leader, with 23 (2 goals, 21 assists).

Breaking: Quinn Hughes is being traded to Minnesota

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 13, 2025

According to Michael Russo (The Athletic), Hughes will make his Minnesota Wild debut on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. This is hands-down the biggest move Guerin has mad as this organization’s head decision-maker, and one that will define his tenure.

What this Western Conference landscape-changing deal tells us is that the waiting in St. Paul is over. The time to win is now. Craig Leipold and Bill Guerin are tired of first round exits and they clearly believe Quinn Hughes is the guy who can make them a true Stanley Cup contender.

How should Wild fans feel about blockbuster deal?

While the truckload of talent going back to Vancouver is a bit overwhelming, on paper, it’s Minnesota who comes away as the clear winner of this blockbuster.

In hockey, much like the other professional sports we all follow, the winner of major trades like this one are usually the team receiving the best player. And tonight, there is no arguing who the best player exchanged in this move was.

Quinn Hughes time in Minnesota! #mnwild great to add the best defenseman in the NHL pic.twitter.com/OuNgYheNwn

— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) December 13, 2025

The Wild’s defense, as a whole, was pretty talented prior to this trade. With Hughes slotted into the first pairing next to any of Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon or Jonas Brodin, Minnesota’s blue line might be the best in hockey.

Throw in the Vancouver captain’s incredible ability to find scorers in scoring position… and it’s tantalizing to think about what Minnesota’s offensive attack could look like with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov working alongside him.

Trade Winner: Minnesota Wild

There’s one caveat to the trade, of course. According to Russo, Hughes has not promised anything to the MN Wild, beyond the current term of his contract, which expires at the end of next season.

There has been no assurances given to the Wild that Hughes will extend next summer, per sources.

Obviously, Guerin knows him well

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) December 13, 2025

The #MNWild can't extend Quinn Hughes until July 1, but they've got a great tool in their back pocket to get it done:

They'll be the only team who can sign him for 8 years with a front-loaded structure including unlimited signing bonuses, before the CBA rules change Sept. 15.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 13, 2025

If Guerin cannot convince Quinn Hughes to stick around beyond 2026-27, this move could blow up in his face. Of course, Hughes is only a hair past 25, and demand for high-end blue line talent around the National Hockey League isn’t going away.

Should things not work out in this new arrangement, though, the Wild will have plenty of suitors interested in sending Guerin a similar talent-laden package, in order to become his third NHL team.

Related: MN Wild Recall Expensive Young Talent for Another NHL Opportunity

At just 26, Hughes already has 7+ seasons of NHL experience in his skates. In that time, he has played 459 games, averaging nearly a point per game, with 432 (61 goals, 371 assists).

Quinn’s goal-scoring production has been on the rise recently, too, potting 33 goals between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, more than he had in all of his first five seasons combined.

So far this offseason, nothing substantial has happened on the roster building front, and Kaprizov hasn’t signed a new deal either. Minnesota is largely running it back, and they’ll need young talent to provide a boost.

Minnesota Wild youth ready for next step

While Kirill Kaprizov is unquestionably the Minnesota Wild’s best player, he is nowhere near their youngest. At 28 years old, he already has five NHL seasons under his belt. To get the franchise over the hump, the next wave must support him.

NHL prospects analyst Corey Pronman put out his top-players under 23 rankings for the upcoming season, and Minnesota makes their presence felt.

Although the Wild don’t have a player in Pronman’s top tier, only Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard reside there. Buium is among the Tier 2 talents which he describes as an NHL All-Star level.

Buium was one of the very best players in college hockey this season. He’s an extremely intelligent puck-mover who can run a power play like a top NHL player. He makes high-end plays routinely and can break shifts open with his puckhandling and passes. Buium is a strong skater who can activate off the blue line and create off the rush. He has very good edge work and is proficient at making checkers miss. His defense is good enough at the amateur level, but he isn’t very physically imposing. Buium is a gamer, though, who can be leaned on to play heavy minutes and projects to be decent enough defensively to go with impactful offense in the NHL. He has the potential to be a big-minutes, top-scoring defenseman.

The Athletic

Minnesota got to see Buium very briefly in the playoffs. He’ll get much more run this season, and if the Wild are going to escape the first round, then he’ll be part of the recipe. The Denver product picked up his first NHL assist despite playing just four regular season games. He’s still seeking that first goal though.

Bucketless Zeev Buium’s rookie solo lap in advance of his NHL debut pic.twitter.com/wsMEQUMwHZ

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 21, 2025

We should see Yurov for the first time this season, and cracking the top six would be a good outcome for the young center. Ohgren doesn’t necessarily have a carrying trait, but is a strong sum of his parts. He made his stateside debut in the AHL last year.

Stramel would not have been on this list had his play with Wisconsin continued. He turned over a new leaf with Michigan State and the arrow is now point back upward.

Related: MN Wild: Kirill Kaprizov Return Timeline and Possible Salary Revealed

Last season was a rollercoaster for Jiricek. He wound up being traded to Minnesota after things went downhill with Columbus. The Wild believed in an ability to fix his skating, but it didn’t translate to production. He ruptured his spleen to end the year early and it puts him in need of a significant turnaround this year.

There’s a path for at least three of these players to help the Minnesota Wild this season. That will rely on them taking the next step, and earning coach John Hynes trust in a hurry.

We haven’t heard a peep from Jack Eichel (0 goals, 1 assist, 11 shots) yet. Meanwhile, Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy have combined for 8 goals and 6 assists. The only players on roster who have produced at nearly the same rate as those two bona fide Wild stars has been Marco Rossi.

Minnesota Wild refuse to believe in Marco Rossi

The 23-year-old former top 10 pick has a MUCH different role than Kaprizov and Boldy, however. Rossi’s two goals are fourth-most for Minnesota this postseason, behind only Kaprizov (4), Boldy (4) and Foligno (3). His three points are tied for fourth most and he has a +2 +/-.

But while Kaprizov and Boldy are averaging over 22 and 24 minutes of TOI through the first four games, respectively, Marco Rossi is buried on the Minnesota Wild’s fourth line, averaging less than half of those guys’ ice time (10:53 TOI).

After Saturday’s OT loss at home, a lot of fans were hoping to see Rossi’s role expanded for game five. Unfortunately, when practice started on Monday morning, there was Marco Rossi, centering the 4th line between Yakov Trenin and Justin Brazeau.

#mnwild lines w Eriksson Ek not skating*

Kaprizov-Shore*-Boldy
Johansson-Hartman-Zuccarello
Foligno-Gaudreau-Nyquist
Trenin-Rossi-Brazeau

Brodin-Faber
Middleton-Spurgeon
Merrill-Bogosian

Extras

Buium-Chisholm
Ohgren, Hinostroza, likely Shore if he’s a placeholder for Ek

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 28, 2025

It’s not like Marco Rossi’s point production during these playoffs is a surprise. He and Matt Boldy single-handedly kept the Minnesota Wild afloat this season, as the rest of the roster crumbled from injury, around them. Rossi finished the 2024-25 regular season 3rd on the team in goals (24) and 2nd in both assists (36) and points (60).

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Wild in Dominant Game Three Win Over Vegas

Yet, for whatever reason, John Hynes and Bill Guerin refuse to give Marco Rossi his chance at stardom, or anywhere near the type of respect they show their top (or even) mid-line skaters. And as of now, that doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon.

Minnesota Wild injury updates prior to game 5

Marco Rossi’s status on the fourth line wasn’t the only notable takeaway from Monday’s lines at practice. Joel Eriksson Ek didn’t skate, after he blocked a shot late in game four.

Fortunately, Hynes informed gathered media members after practice Monday that Ekker’s absence was nothing more than a rest (or maintenance) day. The Minnesota Wild expect their top-line centerman, and the heart/soul of their team, to take his usual place in the middle of the first line on Tuesday night, in Vegas.

More good news: Marcus Johansson skated on Monday and could return to the MN Wild lineup in game five, as well. Johansson served as the left wing on Minnesota’s second line this morning at practice. Johansson missed game four due to a lower body injury he suffered in the third period of game three.

Marcus Johansson practicing today for #mnwild. Missed Game 4 with an LBI

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 28, 2025

Zeev Buium on the shelf in Vegas?

Marco Rossi might not be the only Minnesota Wild youngster who could continue to see a reduced role, as the playoffs role forward. After being benched for the entire overtime in game four, the No. 2 overall prospect in all of hockey, Zeev Buium, was not skating on any of the Wild’s three defensive pairings Monday morning.

After playing in all four of Minnesota’s 2025 playoff games so far, it appears Buium is likely to be replaced by Jon Merrill in game five. Merrill has yet to be active during this postseason. Zeev Buium is a -1 so far in the 2025 NHL Playoffs, with one assist and an average of 12:36 TOI.

Hynes said he hasn’t made any final decisions on d-pairings but it is being considered to give Zeev a breather #mnwild

— Jessi Pierce (@jessi_pierce) April 28, 2025

Liam Ohgren travelling with MN Wild

Finally, let’s end on a positive note. Also on Monday, the Minnesota Wild called up top prospect Liam Ohgren from their “Black Aces” playoff practice squad, and will travel with the team to Vegas for game 5. For now, he isn’t expected to be active, but he is just one injury away from finding the postseason ice in this series.

Looks like Merrill makes his series debut tomorrow for Buium. Eriksson Ek maintenance. Ohgren traveling to Vegas

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 28, 2025

This is the matchup the Wild were hoping for. Yes, the main objective was to get into the tournament, something that was not guaranteed until they got to overtime on Tuesday night. But, if at all possible, avoiding the best team in the NHL in round one — the 116 point Winnipeg Jets — was the ideal outcome.

Unfortunately, because their regular season finale had so much on the line, we did not get a chance to see the No. 2 prospect in all of hockey, Zeev Buium, make his NHL Debut vs Anaheim. Given he just joined the team hours earlier, the MN Wild did not feel comfortable throwing him onto the ice with so much on the line.

Zeev Buium is tracking toward NHL debut… in the playoffs?

At the time, however, head coach John Hynes did hint at the possibility he will be active for their first round playoff matchup against Vegas. On Thursday, the Wild sure looked like a team that’s ready to throw their 19-year-old rookie defenseman to the professional wolves.

In fact, Buium has been practicing with the Wild’s top power play unit the past couple days, something that Michael Russo (The Athletic) feels is a very real indicator of whether or not he’ll be in a Minnesota Wild uniform and on the ice for game one, on Sunday night vs the Golden Knights.

Zeev Buium skating with No. 1 PP unit. Just said on @KFAN1003 that’d be a tell if he possibly could play Game 1. He’s with Boldy, Eriksson Ek, Kaprizov and Zuccarello.

Rossi on unit 2 with Nyquist, Johansson, Spurgeon and Gaudreau

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 17, 2025

Hynes won’t tip his hand yet. Says they wanted to see Zeev in this situation today and he’ll know better Saturday. But sure feels this is the way it’s trending >>> https://t.co/CiY2uBTQyI

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 17, 2025

As a Sophomore at the University of Denver this season, Zeev Buium totalled 13 goals and 35 assists (48 points). In his two-year college career, Buium scored 24 goals and assisted on 74 more (98 points). He was far and away Denver’s best player.

In their Frozen Four loss to Western Michigan, Zeev played 51 minutes of the double-OT thriller. He’s an offensive-minded defenseman, who has as much skill as anyone at his position, though he can tend to get too aggressive and turn pucks over in precarious areas of the ice.

Minnesota Wild teammates excited to add Buium to lineup

On paper, though, Zeev is exactly what the Minnesota Wild power play has been missing all season long. More offensive firepower from the blue line. At the least, the Wild seem pretty confident he can provide that for them, even in the playoffs.

What do his new teammates think? It sounds like they want him to play too. At the end of the day, this is the NHL and the NHL is about winning hockey games. If Zeev Buium can help them do that, they don’t care what his age is.

Kirill Kaprizov had some great stuff today about Zeev, but this was the funniest: "He’s really good. I don’t know how his defense is, but offense."

He laughed hysterically at the joke: "I’m just kidding."

"I don’t (see) him (on) defense. I just saw his highlights offense, and…

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 17, 2025

“I’m excited for him … if [he does play]. He’s such a good kid. I’ve gotten to know [Buium] for the past three days. And, yeah, I’m just excited. We all want this guy in the lineup. We know it’s big, but if there’s one guy he can look to is Brock Faber about how to come in. I know Brock had a couple games in before playoffs, but playoffs are playoffs, and it doesn’t matter. It’s your first game to get thrown in there.

I think just the way Zeev holds himself, carries himself, I think he’s going to be just fine going into Game One against Vegas, and he’s got the support of us as teammates, his new teammates now. And we want him to flourish. If he can be the offensive guy that we saw in college and can help us get some other looks and plays, that’s all we (want). We just gotta make sure that we’re giving him a confidence booster there that we want him to do those things and back him up.”

Marcus Foligno (quote via Michael Russo on X – @RussoHockey)

All they need Tuesday is one point. If they can get to overtime vs the Ducks, Minnesota will officially make their 10th playoff appearance in the past 12 seasons. On paper, the Wild — who are heavy -260 favorites — should be able to secure an easy victory tonight over a hapless 35-37-8 Ducks team already thinking about the offseason.

Zeev Buium will NOT debut for Minnesota Wild on Tuesday

So, the Wild are not taking any chances. After signing his entry-level contract Sunday, former Denver Pioneer superstar Zeev Buium — the No. 2 overall prospect in the NHL (according to The Athletic) — is not in the Minnesota Wild lineup for tonight’s regular season finale.

Zeev Buium not in lineup. #mnwild

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 15, 2025

The decision is understandable, considering the circumstances mentioned above. As much as the Wild would like to see their shiny new toy in action, it’s too risky inserting him into a brand new lineup with a bunch of teammates he’s never even met, given a playoff berth is on the line.

Tuesday morning, Wild head coach John Hynes called it an “easy” decision to scratch Buium, not only because of the stakes tonight, but also because he just arrived and has yet to participate in a practice with his new team.

Buium could make debut during NHL Playoffs…?

Common sense says that, if he isn’t playing tonight, we probably won’t see Zeev take the ice in a Wild sweater until the start of the 2025-26 season, right? Maybe not. Hynes went on to tell reporters that the 19-year-old Buium could make his NHL debut in the playoffs, should Minnesota make win tonight.

John Hynes said it wasn’t an “easy” decision to not play Zeev Buium. It was combination of factors. Talked about Buium just getting here from Frozen Four, not having a full team practice, the high stakes of this game. Indicated could see action if make playoffs. #mnwild.

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 15, 2025

But wait, because I know Minnesota Wild fans will be disappointed that they cannot see Zeev Buium make his NHL debut Tuesday. There was more news that came from today’s press conference with John Hynes.

Related: Wild Division Rival Weirdly Obsessed with Minnesota at NHL Trade Deadline

Part of the reason why their top overall prospect isn’t playing vs the Ducks is because the Wild have gotten healthier since Sunday, when they played without two of their top defensemen vs the Vancouver Canucks.

Jared Spurgeon, Jake Middleton returning for MN Wild

Captain Jared Spurgeon was hit in the throat with a puck on Friday, which resulted in his absence Sunday. Meanwhile, Jake Middleton has been out of the lineup since April 4 with an upper body injury, after he took a nasty head-first spill into the boards 1.5 weeks ago vs the New York Islanders.

Spurgeon and Middleton in, Hynes said

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 15, 2025

So, while we all wanted to see Zeev Buium, it’s a good thing he isn’t playing tonight. Had either Middleton or Spurgeon not been able to go Tuesday, it’d be interesting to know whether or not the kid would have gotten a chance. No matter, because in this reality, he’ll be up in the press box.

This season, Jake Middleton (29 y/o) has played in 66 of the Wild’s 77 games, racking up 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists. His 95 shots are a career high, as is his 21:56 TOI. Jared Spurgeon has played 65 games, potting 7 goals and helping on 25 more. He’s averaging a career-low 20:26 TOI.

Their playoff spot still isn’t mathematically guaranteed, though. The Calgary Flames — who Minnesota failed to bury Friday night — sit 5 points back with two games in hand. Between now and Thursday, they’ll play three games vs the Sharks, Golden Knights and Kings.

• WC1 – Wild (95 pts) — Ducks
• WC2 – Blues (94) — Utah HC
• ———————
• Flames (90) — Sharks, Golden Knights, @ Kings

Calgary must win two of three and get a point in the third, in order to have a chance at running down the Wild. If they were to pull it off, Minnesota still controls its own destiny over both the Blues and Flames, if they win Tuesday in St. Paul vs the Ducks.

Zeev Buium signs with Minnesota Wild; Debut coming Tuesday

While the Minnesota Wild were battling for their playoff lives this weekend, their top prospect Zeev Buium — who’s also ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in all of hockey by The Athletic — was resting and attending the Hobey Baker ceremonies.

This, after he and his Denver Pioneers were eliminated by Western Michigan in the Frozen Four (semi-finals) of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Buium — who will wear No. 8 for the Wild — didn’t get time to dwell on Denver’s failed repeat attempt, though. Sunday, the 19-year-old signed his entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild, officially ending his collegiate career.

WELCOME TO THE WILD ZEEV 🤩

Read more » https://t.co/AglvneKJBD pic.twitter.com/7ToC91xf6l

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 13, 2025

This season, as a Sophomore for the Pioneers, Zeev Buium scored 13 goals assisted on 35 more (48 points). In his two-year college career, Buium totaled 24 goals and 74 assists (98 points).

When will we see Buium play for the Wild?

As of this morning, local insiders like Michael Russo (The Athletic) are not willing to report that the 2024 No. 12 overall pick will make his NHL debut in the Wild’s season finale. Given what’s on the line for his new team, it sounds like Buium will have to earn whatever playing time he is going to get in a Minnesota sweater.

That includes Tuesday vs the Ducks, and into the playoffs (should the Wild make it). Nonetheless, the Wild are banged up on defense, with Jake Middleton still out and Jared Spurgeon shaken up, after taking a puck to the throat Friday.

The California native will meet the team for Monday’s practice in advance of perhaps making his NHL debut in the regular-season finale on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. Buium will wear No. 8.

In the playoffs, we’ll see if Buium starts in the lineup right away. Coach John Hynes has liked — and trusted — his third pair of Jon Merrill and Zach Bogosian, so he’d have to decide whether to put the rookie into high-leverage moments right away.

Michael Russo, Joe Smith – The Athletic

Zeev Buium went 12th overall lol.

Anyways, 2-0 Denver. pic.twitter.com/a21bAW0bTH

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 28, 2025

From Laguna Niguel, CA, Buium wasn’t baptized in one-of-us melted ice hockey water, but he did transfer to and attend Shattuck St. Mary’s when he was 14 and 15 years old (2019-2021).

After leaving Shattuck St Mary’s, Zeev Buium hit the US Men’s juniors circuit, where he led the U17 and U18 Junior National teams for his junior and senior high school seasons, before signing with Denver, and now the Minnesota Wild.

It was a good thing they showed up, too. The Wild needed all six of Kaprizov (2) and Ek’s (4) combined goals to beat the putrid San Jose Sharks 8-7 in OT — on a ridiculous Zuccarello to Kaprizov walk-off one-timer.

But it’s never too late to add talent, right? Not in the hockey world, which is why Thursday, when Minnesota Wild top prospect Zeev Buium and his Denver Pioneers lost to Western Michigan in the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four — ending the Hobey Baker finalist’s last season of collegiate hockey — ears perked up in the State of Hockey.

Minnesota Wild signing Zeev Buium – When will he play?

As expected, the 19-year-old still plans to go pro. According to Michael Russo (The Athletic), Buium will sign a contract with the Minnesota Wild — who selected him No. 12 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft — this weekend.

From there, it sounds like Buium — who put up 13 goals and 35 assists (48 points) in his sophomore season at Denver — is expected to make his professional debut in a Wild sweater for Minnesota’s regular season finale on Tuesday, vs the Anaheim Ducks.

On #mnwild prospect Zeev Buium, he’ll be at tonight’s Hobey Baker presentation in STL and then after lots of hockey, he’d likely need a couple days off. With the Wild playing in Vancouver tomorrow, I’d suspect he signs later this weekend, practices Monday and maybe debuts Tuesday

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 11, 2025

It’s unlikely Zeev Buium plays with the Minnesota Wild in the postseason. While he is arguably the best prospect currently under Wild control, he isn’t Brock Faber. So, why would the MN Wild burn a year of their prize prospect’s rookie contract just to get him into a game that (hopefully) shouldn’t mean anything?

Related: Wild Division Rival Weirdly Obsessed with Minnesota at NHL Trade Deadline

That’s the cost of doing business with top prospects in the National Hockey League. Not only does Buium receive a massive signing bonus and millions of dollars in salary by going pro, but one less year under team control sweetens the deal for a kid who still has multiple years of college eligibility remaining.

Zeev Buium went 12th overall lol.

Anyways, 2-0 Denver. pic.twitter.com/a21bAW0bTH

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 28, 2025

Stakes are too high for Wild to sign insert Buium this weekend

Thankfully, the Minnesota Wild walked out of Xcel Energy Center Wednesday night with two desperately needed points that now have them up four points on the Calgary Flames, with just three games remaining.

Late Friday night, the Wild happen to be in Calgary with a chance to mathematically solidify their spot in the Western Conference playoff bracket. Buium needs rest, but it’s unlikely President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin was going to debut him during a weekend that has so much on the line anway.

Successfully drafting and developing talent is probably the most important part of operating a professional sports franchise. That includes hockey. As the Minnesota Wild move into an era where they will no longer be cap strapped by bad contracts, raising their young prospects becomes that much more important.

Minnesota Wild top prospect near best in NHL

In recent years, when the Minnesota Wild looked towards what is now the present, guys like (G) Jesper Wallstedt and (D) Brock Faber drew most of the hype. Fast forward and those two prospects have developed quite differently. In 2024, though, it’s last offseason’s No. 12 overall pick, Zeev Buium (University of Denver) who is the new prospect darling in St. Paul.

Although The Athletic’s latest top 100 rankings have Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov in a tier of his own, Buium follows immediately behind as the No. 2 overall prospect in all of hockey.

“Buium put together one of the best seasons by a teenage defenseman in modern college hockey history last year, has been a big part of two gold medal-winning World Junior teams and is having another excellent sophomore season that has continued to solidify his status as one of the top D prospects in the NHL.

He’s a plus-level skater and handler who plays an extremely involved game in all three zones, whether that’s activating into the rush or off the point, shaking pressure on exits or across/off the blue line (which he does extraordinarily well, making opposing players miss), working in and out of give-and-gos, or playing tight gaps against the rush. He’s a very busy player on both sides of the puck and he gets in and out of his transitions and footwork so quickly that he can play that style.”

Scott Wheeler on Zeev Buium (The Athletic)

How excited should we be about Zeev Buium?

Wheeler went on to describe Buium as a first-pairing defenseman which should be obvious, being how high he is rated on his list. But really, it’s the “real chance at stardom” comment that should have Minnesota Wild fans excited for Buium’s arrival, which could come as soon as this season, depending on how well his Denver Pioneers finish the NCAA hockey season.

What an unreal pass on Team USA’s golden goal at the World Junior Championships for defenseman Zeev Buium 🤩

Mazel Tov Zeev!🥇

pic.twitter.com/MCUISIIprX

— Jewish ice hockey players 📟 (@JewishHockey) January 6, 2025

With Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon and Brock Faber already on roster — plus the newly acquired David Jiricek also factoring into future top pairings — Buium should give head coach John Hynes one of the best blue line groups in the entire NHL the next few seasons.

For Denver this season Buium has six goals and 26 assists. His 32 points already clear the 25 he posted last season and he has done so on less shots (52 compared to 53.) Buium continues to be among the best things going in college hockey right now, and it wouldn’t be a shock to watch him seamlessly step in for the Wild.

Related: Minnesota Wild Prospects Ranking Skyrockets in Latest Update

Minnesota’s roster construction next year will be interesting. There is the looming payday for Kaprizov, but also a significant windfall of cap space to utilize. Goaltending will be something of a focus as Marc-Andre Fleury moves on to retirement as well.

No matter how general manager Bill Geurin goes about constructing his roster, Buium’s presence when he reaches it will be a welcomed one. The Ryan Suter buyout goes away, and wild fans could soon have the next defensive star to take over.

Without Kirill Kaprizov, the MN Wild have sometimes looked like a house of cards. But the foundation is strong. Marco Rossi has taken a giant leap. Matt Boldy is starting to find it, and Brock Faber has fit right in straight out of college. And there’s another prospect ready to step right in and do the same after the Frozen Four wraps up on April 12 in St. Louis.

Denver’s Zeev Buium propels MN Wild prospect pool

The Athletic‘s Scott Wheeler released his latest NHL prospect pool rankings, and Minnesota is the only NHL playoff team with a top-five prospect pool. In fact, the Wild’s prospects are cumaltively ranked second to only San Jose. Last year’s top pick, Denver Pioneers defenseman Zeev Buium, is the biggest reason for that No. 2 ranking.

The selection of Zeev Buium (who I believe is one of the top prospects in the sport right now) 12th in 2024 and the addition of 2022 No. 6 pick David Jiricek via trade has taken a Wild pool that ranked 11th in last year’s rankings and pushed them into what became a clear-cut top three this year with Montreal and San Jose.

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (subscription required)

Related: Minnesota Wild Prospects Turn Heads at 2025 World Junior Championship

Buium impressed in the 2025 World Juniors, but after posting the best scoring season by a freshman defenseman in NCAA history, he’s taken yet another big leap as a sophomore. He assisted on the game-winning goal in the 2025 World Juniors championship game. And in just two more games than he played last year for Denver, Buium has increased his point total by seven – all on assists.

The Zeev Buium golden setup looks even better from these two angles.

Elite talent. He’s gonna be an NHL star 🤩

pic.twitter.com/7f6ceRrEQh

— Jewish ice hockey players 📟 (@JewishHockey) January 7, 2025

He has played some very high-level hockey for a while now (two springs ago to finish strong at the NTDP, again at the World Junior Summer Showcase, again at two World Juniors and as a big-time freshman and sophomore in college) and projects as a first-pairing, play-driving, extremely involved defenseman with a real chance at stardom.

-Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

The Wild have shown a need for defensemen with a nose for the net, especially with Kaprizov out. MN Wild head coach John Hynes’ recent line changes have reflected that need. It’s expected that Buium will bring that nose for the net to the NHL this season. According to Puckpedia, the Wild have two left-shot defenseman with expiring contracts: Jon Merrill and Travis Dermott.

David Jiříček trade expected to pay off in a big way for Wild

Wheeler has Jiříček as the third-best prospect in the MN Wild’s pool. A right shot defenseman to potentially pair with Buium’s left shot, eventually. Jiříček has already contributed to the Wild this season, scoring his first goal with the club back on Jan. 18 and getting a big assist in a 3-1 win at Colorado, Jan. 20.

[Hi]s modus operandi is that he’s a confident, active, engaged, talented player who has almost all of the tools you look for in a top defender except for the footwork on his heels…He has a couple of kinks to iron out with his decision-making and footwork, but the rest is there and he’s got legitimate top-four/impact upside.

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

Related: John Hynes ‘Jacked’ About Jiříček Future but When Can the Wild Expect it to Start

Jiříček has been increasing the rate at which he scores points in AHL games. He went five games without scoring in late December. That’s down to three games between points most recently. He’s also getting more shots on goal than he has thus far this season. He’s got nine on goal over his last five games.

Danila Yurov tips the scales in Minnesota Wild’s favor

Perhaps the most exciting prospect in the Wild prospect pool is Kaprizov compatriot Danila Yurov. He broke the under-21 KHL scoring record last season, passing Kaprizov and Vladimir Tarasenko along the way. Wheeler has him as the Wild’s second-best prospect and projects him as a second-line forward at the NHL level.

If you were to fill up two buckets with his tools (one for the strengths, one for the weaknesses) and place them on a scale, the bucket with his strengths in it would be overflowing and the one with his weaknesses would be near empty. He plays hard and fast, he pushes tempo, he’s a strong and balanced skater, he’s an excellent give-and-go player who excels at playing in and out of space without the puck, his shot comes off his blade hard in motion…he’s got pro size (6-foot-1 and about 180 pounds) and skill, he’s diligent in all three zones and he’s almost always in the right position or reading the play to get back into it (on offense or defense).

-Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

Danila Yurov forced the breakaway! pic.twitter.com/l7SjwWQRbl

— KHL (@khl_eng) February 3, 2025

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin deserves a ton of credit for filling this prospect pool so full despite the pool of draft picks with which he’s done it. When the Wild selected Yurov 24th overall, he was 12th on Wheeler’s list. Buium was taken 12th overall and has become a top overall prospect.

Related: Wild Defenseman Not Happy with John Hynes After Being Scratched

The Wild enter this year’s NHL draft with very few picks, but it seems Guerin doesn’t necessarily need them. He might not even need to make a move at the NHL trade deadline on March 7. Zeev Buium could be the addition that propels the Wild to postseason success.

Kaprizov, Yurov and Rossi leading the Wild forwards; Faber, Buium and Jiříček leading the Wild defense. That’s a future that has Minnesota Wild fans salivating and dreaming sweet dreams of Lord Stanley’s Cup.