Article: Zeev Buium Is A Bona Fide Top Prospect

[FredJohnson]

1 hour ago, Will D. Ness said:

He is talking about the premature anointing of the unproven prospect that happens every year.  It gets old to hop onto the hype train and then to be disappointed when reality melts away the glory of speculation and reveals another young and inexperienced kid going through growing pains.  

What really bothers me though, is how people then turn on the prospect and cry "bust" before moving onto the hype train of the next premature anointing of the unproven prospect.  

It’s not even in the same magnitude of annoyance that the negative Nelly’s spew by pronouncing every prospect a bust no matter how they perform in the lead-up to making the club.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

The Athletic just released an article on Buium too, kind of centered around that lingering question of how long he might be at Denver.

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That’s the biggest question for Buium, who many expect to join the Wild after this Pioneers season. And as much as Buium tries to stay present, from practices to his three classes (astronomy, theater, communications), he admits the NHL is on his mind.

His goal first and foremost is to win another national title. But he’s also watching 90 percent of Wild games, and it’s more than just as a fan. It makes him smile.

“You watch what they’re doing and where I can see myself,” Buium says. “I don’t think about it all the time, but sometimes I’ll watch the game — ‘How do I fit in this lineup, this system?’ It’s pretty cool. Sometimes I get lost — just amazed how they play. It’s been fun to watch and have more of a sense of pride for a team in the NHL.”

His roommates will catch Buium watching 15-minute clips of NHL defensemen, including the Wild’s Brock Faber and the Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider. 

Wild comments:

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Bombardir says Buium has improved on everything the team has asked him to this past year. His play away from the puck has gotten much better, from his gaps to his neutral-zone play to being predictable for his partner.

“People talk about his offensive abilities and what he can do with the puck,” Bombardir says. “But the willingness he shows to defend and compete, I thought, were on great display at (World Juniors).”

Denver Coach comments:

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“He knows what he needs to play the 25 to 30 minutes,” Carle says. “He can pick his spots. He’s got an uncanny ability to do what the game requires. The adaptability of where he can do whatever the game calls for, whether he needs to be hard at defending or if he needs to add more juice, like he did against Finland offensively. He can just do it all.

“That’s why I think his intelligence level, of doing what the game requires out of him, is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

 

Athletic writer comments:

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“I try to always temper my expectations, not get carried away,” The Athletic’s prospects writer Scott Wheeler says. “But I truly believe Zeev is ready to come in and contribute this spring once his season is over at Denver and play in the playoffs and be a good player right away. Could he play 20 minutes a night next year? Zeev slides immediately on your second pairing. And is he immediately on one of your top two power plays? I absolutely think he’s capable of being that kind of player right away.”

 

[mnfaninnc]

Here's what I'm really looking forward to: Both Buium and Faber seem to have that "it" factor. They are able to elevate to 120% of their normal play when the moment calls for it. Whether it's playing 30 minutes a game, or whether it's hitting that clutch goal or driving play. 

Having 2 of those on a team is amazing and a reason I might not want to pair up Buium and Faber. Think about this: We could have 2 top pairing defensive units on a bargain pricetag. 

Maybe it's overkill, but to get back to MNH03's idea of trading Rossi, Boldy and Faber for Thompson and Tuch. While the short term on this looks like it might be a win, and Thompson and Tuch would look good here, I think losing Faber would really be a detriment to our longterm success. 

I still believe in the 3-4 hits on 2/3 drafts for longterm success. Getting a core of guys around the same age group with tutelage from an older draft. That's what we have in the '20-22 draft group. Sure, we traded for 2 of those guys and I didn't include that in my research, but having that group of 8ish guys from 3 drafts that can play a significant role tends to build championship caliber teams. 

I'm ready to give this type of build a run. There's no guarantees that either is the way to go, but I like what I see from those drafts.