Wild draft Denver defenseman Zeev Buium with 12th overall pick in NHL draft

LAS VEGAS – Zeev Buium has an impressive track record in St. Paul, winning the National Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament title at Xcel Energy Center last March before returning with the University of Denver in April and capturing the NCAA championship.

Eventually, Buium could make more memories on the same ice.

“Hopefully,” he said. “Hopefully it keeps on going.”

The Wild traded up in the first round of the NHL draft Friday night at Sphere in Las Vegas to add Buium at No. 12, sending their 13th pick and a 2025 third-rounder to Philadelphia to acquire the offensive defenseman.

“I had a pretty good feeling that it could be [me],” Buium said. “I couldn’t be more honored for them to make that decision to get me.”

Buium could have easily been off the board by the time the Wild were due to make their selection.

He led all NCAA defensemen in scoring last season during Denver’s title run, racking up 11 goals and 39 assists for 50 points in 42 games as a freshman; one of those assists came in Denver’s 2-0 victory over Boston College in the Frozen Four championship game at Xcel Energy Center, Buium assisting on 2022 Wild draft pick Rieger Lorenz’s lead-extending goal.

“There’s a lot to like about him,” Wild President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin said. “His skill, puck-moving ability, hockey sense, character, he’s got a winning pedigree — there’s a lot to like.”

The 18-year-old also earned gold with Team USA at the world junior championship earlier this year, a performance that included Buium scoring in the gold medal game. He commemorated the dates he won gold with the United States (Buium had another from the 2023 under-18 championship) and the NCAA title in tattoos on his arm written in Hebrew.

NHL Central Scouting ranked him the fourth-best North American skater.

“He’s a winner of a person,” said Denver coach David Carle, “and that helps him become a winner on the ice.”

But Buium was still available after an unpredictable top 10.

As expected, the draft began with Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini getting selected first overall by San Jose. Chicago stayed on script, adding Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov, but the first shocker arrived with the very next pick: Anaheim nabbed Beckett Sennecke, a winger out of the Ontario Hockey League who looked stunned to hear his name called.

Just as intriguing as each team’s selection (Montreal had five-time Grammy winner and Quebec native Celine Dion announce its pick) was the visual reveal at Sphere.

The world’s largest spherical structure — the Statue of Liberty could fit inside — used its 160,000 square-foot screen wrapping over the draft floor and amphitheater seating to showcase each drafted player.

The over-the-top display — literally — was fitting for a first round that continued to surprise because of how many quality defensemen were still waiting to be picked.

Wild brass didn’t anticipate Buium being in that group and while Philadelphia was on the clock, the Wild traded into the Flyers’ spot to prevent them from dealing No. 12 to a different team that could choose Buium; they felt confident he wasn’t Philadelphia’s target.

“It just felt so special, to hug my mom, to hug my dad,” said Buium, who had a couple family members from Israel make the trip to Las Vegas. “They made so many sacrifices for my brothers and I. To hug them was so special. Then to hug my two brothers who’ve mentored me this entire time feels even better. It’s a moment that I can’t fully explain. It was awesome.”

A California native, Buium took up hockey after his cousin and brothers started playing.

“Being the little brother, I just tagged along,” Buium said. “We all kind of just started playing for fun, and then obviously the better we got the more serious we took it.”

After skating for the Los Angeles Junior Kings AAA program, Buium spent his 14U and 15U seasons at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Faribault and even attended the occasional Wild game.

“I spent a whole summer at Lake Minnetonka,” Buium said. “I love Lake Minnetonka. I’d rather spend time there than a beach in California.”

His brother Shai was a second-round pick by Detroit three years ago, and Shai teamed up with Buium on Denver’s defense last season after Buium paced defensemen on USA Hockey’s national team development program’s under-18 team in scoring a season earlier.

“The energy he has, the type of person he is, you can see why he wins, why he produces, and why others want to play with him,” Wild director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett said.

Billed as a dynamic puck mover, especially at the offensive blue line, the 6-foot, 185-pound Buium has the vision and hockey IQ to exploit gaps in coverage to set up his teammates.

Buium, a left shot, believes his smarts will translate the best to the NHL, and being a more consistent defender is where he feels he can grow his game.

Brackett considers Buium a complete, two-way defenseman, and Carle noticed Buium wanting to improve defensively last season at Denver; this actually boosted Buium’s offense because stronger defending meant less defending.

“He wanted to work on his gaps and closing plays and killing plays in the corner and being a better defender, and I think that’s his mindset,” Carle said. “That’s what makes him so special, and I think the Wild got an absolute steal at 12.”

They also have someone who has a knack for winning on their home ice.

“To win two championships in that building already feels really good,” Buium said.