By Kalisha Turnipseed -
The Minnesota Wild must improve in every area, but they needed a difference-maker on the blue line and got one. While the Wild only moved up one spot, they managed to get a defensive prospect with more upside than Carson Lambos, who they took 26th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The experts who were highest on Buium projected him to be a top-five pick. However, he slipped outside the top-ten, prompting general manager Bill Guerin to trade up one spot. Sometimes, the small things make the biggest difference, and by moving to 12, they may have landed a player who can do what Calen Addison couldn’t in a Wild uniform.
Buium will likely return to the University of Denver for his sophomore season, where he’s teammates with Rieger Lorenz, who the Wild drafted in the second round (56th overall) in 2022. While Lorenz isn’t the same tier prospect as Buium, he can still become a lesser version of Matt Boldy. Now that Buium and Lorenz are officially Wild prospects, they should be motivated to win it all in Denver to show they’re NHL-ready.
What will the future hold for Buium?
Buium wants to improve in everything. However, he mentioned that his hockey IQ is NHL-ready, meaning he won't have trouble stepping into an NHL lineup today. Let's say he takes Brock Faber’s development path. When can we expect Buium to step into the Wild lineup, and what will his role be?
He’s already scoring at a 1.19 points per game rate, more than Cale Makar (0.93 points) and only 0.01 points behind Adam Fox (1.20 points). However, Fox played 97 games while Buium has played 42 games. Makar played 75 games. Still, let’s look at size comparisons: Makar’s currently 5-foot-11, 187 lbs., and Fox's 5-foot-11, 183 lbs.
Size matters on the blue line. However, some NHL defensemen under 6-foot-2 have been successful and can hold their own due to their toughness. Will Buium's offense translate to the pros? How good is his IQ? For starters, he can play both sides of the puck. Fox and Makar are right-shot defenders who only play on the right. Miro Heiskanen plays on both sides of the ice for the Dallas Stars. He's currently scoring 0.61 points, which averages to 50 points a season.
Heiskanen recently had a breakout season with 73 points in 79 games in the 2022-23. So, Heiskanen is already showing the NHL who he can be at his peak. He’s not a point-per-game player like Makar. However, he plays an elite, well-rounded game. Could he be a lesser version of Makar? That’s exactly what Buium can turn out to be by bringing another level of offense compared to Brock Faber.
Faber will be one of the best defensemen in the league under 24. However, he isn't expected to be an offensive juggernaut. Still, he’s a better offensive player than people anticipated coming out of college. What if he had found another gear offensively last year? He would've won the Calder trophy because NHL awards are predominantly determined by how many points a player scores. Does Buium have enough offensive ability to win the Calder?
Once Buium arrives, the Wild will likely continue to play Jonas Brodin with Faber, making Jared Spurgeon expendable. Minnesota shouldn't want to throw Buium with the Sharks, but will he show a similar determination to improve as Faber did? Buium should expect to take over Declan Chisholm's role on the power play, but he has a much better IQ as a facilitator.
Buium can debut alongside Jake Middleton, who the Wild extended for four years, $17.4 million. By playing alongside Buium, Middleton can take some of the physical burden off him. Buium can thrive as a true offensive defenseman, while Middleton's stay-at-home style helps defend bigger forwards and clear the front of the net. Buium will play a second pairing role until he graduates into Brodin’s role on the top pair.
The Wild were fortunate to land a top defensive talent in Buium. Still, we don’t know if he’ll be productive enough offensively to take pressure off Kirill Kaprizov and Minnesota’s other scorers. Buium is far from a finished product, but if he can offer more than Addison, that will be the start of him being an everyday blueliner.
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