By Robert Brent -
When Zeev Buium makes his regular-season debut with the Minnesota Wild in September, he’ll be doing so as the crown jewel of their young core of prospects. The defender will only be 19 when the season starts, but expectations are already high. Buium could play a key role for the Wild immediately, especially with Jonas Brodin missing the beginning of the season with an injury.
While fans, the organization, and media alike are excited for the player’s rookie season, perhaps no one has higher expectations for Buium than the young defender himself.
In an interview with NHL.com, the Denver University product signaled his intention not just to be a part of the Wild’s lineup, but to be an impact player.
"I do think that there is an opportunity for me to step in and be a player on the team," Buium said. "And for me, I don't just want to be a guy who's out there. … [I want to] help this team win. So yeah, I'm going to do whatever I can to do that."
While Buium has all the tools to fulfill that goal, he’s a young and inexperienced player. The Wild will have to deploy him wisely to get the most out of his skill set while not drowning the player in responsibility.
One of the best ways to maximize Buium’s potential would be to give him the opportunity for significant minutes on the power play unit.
Buium is exceptionally suited to quarterback a power play unit given his refined offensive talents. In the Athletic’s recent top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking, Scott Wheeler outlined some traits of Buium’s game that translate well to the extra-attacker unit.
“He’s a plus-level skater and handler who plays an extremely involved game in all three zones,” wrote Wheeler, “whether that’s activating into the rush or off the point, shaking pressure on exits or across/off the blue line.”
Buium showed those attributes in spades at Denver. The defender led the nation in scoring for two consecutive years due to his elite skating, ability to distribute to his teammates, taking the attack into his own hands when necessary, and using deception and agility to retain possession of the puck.
That bundle of skills should translate well to the NHL, especially on power plays when there’s more room on the ice for Buium to go to work. Buium may face challenges early on as he adjusts to the league. Still, the power play is the perfect place for him to utilize his strengths in a controlled environment and become a key contributor for the Wild.
If Buium can transition to the NHL as a power play specialist immediately, it would be a massive boon for Minnesota. The team struggled with the extra man last season, ranking 20th in the league with a 20.9% success rate.
One of the key components missing from Minnesota’s power play is a true leader from the blueline on the unit. Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon were the primary blueliners the Wild used on the power play last season. They’re both serviceable, but neither is a game-breaking distributor or offensive threat.
According to Naturalstattrick.com, 80 defenders played more than 50 minutes on the power play last season. Jared Spurgeon ranked 32nd in points per 60 minutes (4.86), while Faber ranked 49th (3.41).
Spurgeon and Faber are both high-level blueliners, but they lack the skills to make them lethal weapons with the man-advantage, specifically. Meanwhile, the best man-advantage units in the league are run mainly from the blue line, featuring an elite skating and passing defenseman who is also a scoring threat.
Here are the best special teams units from last season:
(Source: ESPN)
Of the top ten power plays, seven of the clubs employ defenseman who ranked top-15 in points per 60 on the power play. That group of defenders includes elite puck-moving and skating blueliners such as Cale Makar, Shea Theodore, Luke Hughes, and Victor Hedman.
Buium shares many attributes with that group of players. He has similar size and possesses a comparable skill set to Makar, Theodore, and Hughes.
They’re all puck-movers and the kind of distributors that have gravitational pull. Even if they aren’t finishing plays, the offense runs through them when they’re on the ice. While Hedman is an outlier in terms of size, he has a similar offensive skill set to one of the best passing defensemen in the league. They can also be a scoring threat when given the space.
If Buium can use those skills on Minnesota’s power play, it would solve a few issues at once. Buium can fulfill his aspiration to be a massive asset for the Wild. Defenseman prospects generally take a bit longer to develop than their forward counterparts, so it’s conceivable that Buium could experience some growing pains as a 19-year-old.
That won’t be as big an issue if he immediately becomes an impact player on the power play, which will take less time for him to be accustomed to due to his skill set.
Buium’s ascent on that unit would also free up some of the load for Faber and Spurgeon. While one of the two would likely be the anchor of their second unit, it’s still less time on the ice. Spurgeon is getting older and could use a lighter assignment.
While Faber is still young, he has also played a considerable number of minutes in his short career. It might benefit him to ease that load.
The team also desperately needs to improve on special teams. Using Buium in that role would foster his development, benefit the team, and be advantageous for the other defenders' usage.
How Buium adjusts to the NHL will be one of the most fascinating storylines for the Wild this season. They stand to get the most out of him by making him a focal point of their power play unit.
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