Zeev Buium Gets Paid, But the Canucks May Have Turned Lemons into Lemonade

The Vancouver Canucks made a bold statement on Friday, locking down a huge part of their future. They placed a massive bet on Zeev Buium, a 20-year-old who has barely scratched the surface of his NHL career.

Vancouver has signed the defenceman to an eight-year contract extension worth $9.38 million annually, a deal that signals just how highly the organization views the young blueliner. It’s a gamble that could go sideways given his relative inexperience. However, GM Ryan Johnson hasn’t been shy about placing a lot of faith in Buium, and he’s now positioned him as a foundational piece of the Canucks’ young core moving forward.

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Buium has appeared in just 45 games for Vancouver since arriving via trade last season, collecting 12 points and 33 penalty minutes. Combined with his time in Minnesota, his career NHL totals sit at 76 games and 26 points — not exactly the kind of statistics that would warrant a $75 million commitment. However, that’s the way of today’s NHL. GMs who make the right bets early reap the rewards. And, there’s a lot to like about this player.

Buium’s first taste of NHL action came only in the spring of 2025, during Minnesota’s four-game playoff run. Before then, he was at the University of Denver. Buium was dominant, posting 98 points in 83 games over two seasons with a plus-50 rating, and helped lead the Pioneers to a national championship in 2024. His résumé with Team USA is just as impressive, including U18 gold, back-to-back World Junior titles, and a 2025 World Championship gold medal. Minnesota selected him 12th overall in the 2024 draft before he was later dealt to Vancouver as part of the Quinn Hughes trade.

Now the Canucks are wagering that the player who dominated college and international hockey will eventually translate that success to the NHL level. Locking him up for eight years is a long-term bet on upside, with the hope that $9.38 million looks like a bargain by the back half of the deal.

Canucks Turning Lemons into Lemonade?

One of the more fascinating aspects of this extension is the backstory as to why it became possible. The Hughes trade was a blockbuster, and Buium was the key piece coming back for the Canucks. By committing to Vancouver despite years of struggle ahead, Hughes is making life difficult for the Minnesota Wild. He’s not signed an extension yet, and there’s some worry he won’t.

It’s ironic that the Wild — seen as the better and more competitive team — can’t get their superstar locked up. Meanwhile, the Canucks are expected to be pretty bad, and they’ve already gone all-in on a new foundation for their blue line. Stealing a line from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News: “Buium’s commitment to the Canucks franchise is a very positive development. This is still a season in which Vancouver will stay at the bottom of the league, but you have to take what you get, and you have to turn lemons into lemonade. That’s what the Hughes/Buium trade achieves.”

The extension isn’t without risk. If Buium doesn’t develop into the difference-maker Vancouver envisions, the contract could become an issue later. But the move also gives both sides security — Buium gets long-term financial assurance and a clear future in Vancouver, while the Canucks avoid any concerns about offer sheets or trade demands. The same can’t be said for the Wild, who at best might get a two- or three-year commitment out of Hughes.

For Vancouver, it’s a clear vote of confidence in a player they believe can anchor their blue line for years to come. Now it’s up to him to live up to the deal.

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