Article: Wild Trade Up To Select Defenseman Zeev Buium At 12th Overall

[Thomas Williams]

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[B1GKappa97]

Epic pick. Possibly best of the Guerin era.

And it shouldn’t take him too long to make the NHL either. Just incredible he was even available.

[Citizen Strife]

The Wild have been a defense first team for a long time.  Picks like this remind me of Suter/Spurgeon and Brodin/Dumba (yeah, Faber via trade, but still) and the embarrassment of riches the backend has had.  There's no way to know what Buium/Faber is gonna be until it happens...but I want it so badly.

Edited June 29 by Citizen Strife

[Outskated]

This is absolutely brilliant, I am so stoked this kid was available where he was. What a great job getting him by BG. This was the pick I have been clamoring for! So pumped for what this kid will bring to our team! 

[IllicitFive]

Getting a highly rated offensive defensive player is a huge get. If he lives up to the hype adds excitement to the back end, gives more teeth to the PP and hopefully open up space for offensive players with him being a threat from the blue line. 

[mnfaninnc]

I was hoping for a big defensive stud. I think we got the smallest of the bunch, but he's not tiny. I sure hope you guys are right about him. 6' 186 is getting close to where he needs to be. 15-20 lbs. of filling out is what he needs and probably gets.

I did see his brother with him at the draft interview. His brother looks taller, to me, but was also quite a bit thicker. That gives me hope that young Zeev will fill out, and that lifting runs in the family.

The other nice thing is that this guy can run an NHL PP. It might be better for our QB to be a lefty too, with all the lefties on the roster. I also think this puts a little pressure on Lambos and Peart. They are 3 years ahead of Buium, but he has pretty much caught them on the depth chart. My guess is he has 1 year left of college before coming in. 

From the Kaprizov angle, I'd think he'd like the pick. I'm sure one thing Kaprizov noticed was that our defensive corps needs some help, and on the left side, there isn't a lot of skill. I, like most, believe it will be a Buium/Faber 1st pairing eventually. 

[Tony Abbott]

4 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I was hoping for a big defensive stud. I think we got the smallest of the bunch, but he's not tiny. I sure hope you guys are right about him. 6' 186 is getting close to where he needs to be. 15-20 lbs. of filling out is what he needs and probably gets.

I did see his brother with him at the draft interview. His brother looks taller, to me, but was also quite a bit thicker. That gives me hope that young Zeev will fill out, and that lifting runs in the family.

The other nice thing is that this guy can run an NHL PP. It might be better for our QB to be a lefty too, with all the lefties on the roster. I also think this puts a little pressure on Lambos and Peart. They are 3 years ahead of Buium, but he has pretty much caught them on the depth chart. My guess is he has 1 year left of college before coming in. 

From the Kaprizov angle, I'd think he'd like the pick. I'm sure one thing Kaprizov noticed was that our defensive corps needs some help, and on the left side, there isn't a lot of skill. I, like most, believe it will be a Buium/Faber 1st pairing eventually. 

I hope he gets smaller.

[mnfaninnc]

Still nothing on McGroarty. I wonder if we can get him for a prospect. Buium's draft pick might make a prospect a little more available now.

[mnfaninnc]

5 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

I hope he gets smaller.

Tony, you graded the mocks, but didn't have Buium listed. What's your quick take grade...and comment?

[Tony Abbott]

A-plus, working on my long reaction for tomorrow AM.

[TCMooch]

25 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Still nothing on McGroarty. I wonder if we can get him for a prospect. Buium's draft pick might make a prospect a little more available now.

I doubt they Want prospects back. Jets are in win now mode so I’m sure they want a young proven NHLer. Or at least that’s what I think. Prospects or draft picks don’t help them with their window.

[Protec]

Perhaps the best value in the 10-15 range. Our selection was ranked 5-6 spots better than where the Wild got him with some guys putting him in the top 5. Of all the defensive prospects his size was less impressive than the big men but others in the top 12 went closer to where they were expected other than Sennecke and Yakemchuk who jumped up. Buium was the biggest surprise to be available yet at 12th. Silayev and Dickinson fell too somewhat but it looks pretty good for MN. He was the last available top tier D-man so trading to slide up a spot was fine. MN could easily sacrifice a pick or try to get a pick back with a future trade. Getting a top NCAA guy who's already won a Championship and who is on a team with another Wild prospect is an added bonus. Knowing those guys stepped up in big games is also good to see. Solid pick for Brackett & Guerin. Lot of potential for Buium and that means joining the Wild sooner than 3-4 years from now. 

In the 15-20 range, Connelly and Eiserman were the biggest fallers for the selfish or character questions but I think that stuff will fade out of the picture. MN seems like they made the top tier of teams to really cash in for their position with a higher-value prospect. Guerin didn't spend much cause 3rd rounders typically aren't ultra high probability NHL players. 

Quite nice.

[AKwildkraken]

I definitely was not expecting to be able to get Zeev.  Absolutely love this pick.  Very impressed with his (true) freshman season at DU.  

[OldDutchChip]

2 hours ago, B1GKappa97 said:

Epic pick. Possibly best of the Guerin era.

And it shouldn’t take him too long to make the NHL either. Just incredible he was even available.

And it shouldn’t take him too long to make the NHL either. - is that right after Kaprizov leaves? 😜

[OldDutchChip]

2 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

The Wild have been a defense first team for a long time.  Picks like this remind me of Suter/Spurgeon and Brodin/Dumba (yeah, Faber via trade, but still) and the embarrassment of riches the backend has had.  There's no way to know what Buium/Faber is gonna be until it happens...but I want it so badly.

you have a weird fetish. i want a team that can win a cup. you (for some weird reason) want "badly" to watch a defense first team that....checking the timeline.....has won nothing in like 30 years? (yeah i rounded up!) 

[OldDutchChip]

2 hours ago, IllicitFive said:

Getting a highly rated offensive defensive player is a huge get. If he lives up to the hype adds excitement to the back end, gives more teeth to the PP and hopefully open up space for offensive players with him being a threat from the blue line. 

which offensive players? do tell? stramel? maybe that mysterious yurov? maybe golfer boldy? don't worry Kap will be on another team. but freddy g will still be here! 

i won't let you celebrate idiocy. argh i feel like joe bauers!

[OldDutchChip]

1 hour ago, Tony Abbott said:

A-plus, working on my long reaction for tomorrow AM.

you are hopeless. 

[Tony Abbott]

2 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

you are hopeless. 

Still waiting to hear what you would have done on a night where zero of 32 teams traded a roster player.

[OldDutchChip]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

I was hoping for a big defensive stud. I think we got the smallest of the bunch, but he's not tiny. I sure hope you guys are right about him. 6' 186 is getting close to where he needs to be. 15-20 lbs. of filling out is what he needs and probably gets.

I did see his brother with him at the draft interview. His brother looks taller, to me, but was also quite a bit thicker. That gives me hope that young Zeev will fill out, and that lifting runs in the family.

The other nice thing is that this guy can run an NHL PP. It might be better for our QB to be a lefty too, with all the lefties on the roster. I also think this puts a little pressure on Lambos and Peart. They are 3 years ahead of Buium, but he has pretty much caught them on the depth chart. My guess is he has 1 year left of college before coming in. 

From the Kaprizov angle, I'd think he'd like the pick. I'm sure one thing Kaprizov noticed was that our defensive corps needs some help, and on the left side, there isn't a lot of skill. I, like most, believe it will be a Buium/Faber 1st pairing eventually. 

From the Kaprizov angle, I'd think he'd like the pick. I'm sure one thing Kaprizov noticed was that our defensive corps needs some help, and on the left side, there isn't a lot of skill.

Kaprizov likes winning. That's it. He needs immediate help. Instead he gets a pick. A prospect. No immediate help. What's he thinking next? HAHAHA Maybe how he loves being physically dominated by Central Division or how the team is doing nothing in terms of showing that they view him as priority ONE? nah he like the pick ....argh people

[OldDutchChip]

2 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

Still waiting to hear what you would have done on a night where zero of 32 teams traded a roster player.

was there trades before? YES

was there trades of players that people believed would be anchors but yet they moved? YES

have we done a WOW trade on draft day before? YES

do i care about other team? NO

Tony, i like and enjoy your writing. I really do. But i think we fundamentally agree at what's at stake. The way Wild are approaching things, leave NO doubt that Kap will walk. And i find that demoralizing. 

[Tony Abbott]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

Tony, you graded the mocks, but didn't have Buium listed. What's your quick take grade...and comment?

I lied, my reaction is out now. 

[Tony Abbott]

11 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

was there trades before? YES

was there trades of players that people believed would be anchors but yet they moved? YES

have we done a WOW trade on draft day before? YES

do i care about other team? NO

Tony, i like and enjoy your writing. I really do. But i think we fundamentally agree at what's at stake. The way Wild are approaching things, leave NO doubt that Kap will walk. And i find that demoralizing. 

I think if Kaprizov ends up moving on, it's going to be the team locking themselves into long, too-expensive contracts with players who are getting older (Zuccarello/Foligno/Maybe Hartman) or weren't that good to begin with (Gaudreau, Middleton soon). I don't think it's going to be that they have too many young players to help win now. 

[Tony Abbott]

If that happens, it genuinely sucks! But I think you're aiming your frustration at the wrong thing.

[OldDutchChip]

1 minute ago, Tony Abbott said:

I think if Kaprizov ends up moving on, it's going to be the team locking themselves into long, too-expensive contracts with players who are getting older (Zuccarello/Foligno/Maybe Hartman) or weren't that good to begin with (Gaudreau, Middleton soon). I don't think it's going to be that they have too many young players to help win now. 

sorry i am missing the point here. you are thinking kaprizov is moving on because of money tied to other players? i guess i fully disagree. he has money. he can make more money of advertising in his home country, in his new country, he also is set to inherit a lot of money if he marries his GF and if all else fails and money is that tight he can take do some quik trip commercials. yes this was sarcastic but done for a reason. let's not pretend that money is everything. getting him a brute like tkachuk or a captaincy on his jersey would be viewed as gold in his eyes. and something that would be tough to beat by other team. and by doing neither, wild is counting on the good old $ to be the only variable in this equation and that is stupid and will cost us. 

[Dango]

I could see Kaprizov signing a show me deal ,3-4 years 12+ mill per year   to see if things are improving  before giving up  i mean most players seem to do that .