Zeev Buium’s arrival is eagerly anticipated by Wild fans

CALGARY, Alberta — Zeev Buium’s college hockey season ended in heartbreaking fashion Thursday night, but the top prospect could soon join another team that still has plenty at stake.

Now that the University of Denver is done playing, the Pioneers losing to Western Michigan 3-2 in double overtime at the Frozen Four in St. Louis to miss out on repeating as back-to-back NCAA Division I champions, Buium can choose to turn pro and sign a contract with the Wild.

He was the team’s first-round pick (12th overall) in 2024.

Buium was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey’s top player, and attended the ceremony in St. Louis on Friday, watching as Michigan State’s Isaac Howard won the award.

For starters, the Wild would need to return Cameron Crotty to the minors to create enough cap space to sign Buium, but Crotty is still with the team as an extra defenseman with Jake Middleton injured; Middleton had the potential to draw in vs. the Flames after getting boarded last Friday against the Islanders but missed a third straight game.

A 19-year-old San Diego native, Buium netted a career-high 13 goals and was named the Player of the Year in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. He’s also a two-time NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year award recipient. He was also a standout for the U.S. junior national team, winning a second gold medal at the world championships.

“Zeev’s played really well,” said Wild coach John Hynes, whose alma mater, Boston University, advanced in the other semifinal and will meet Western Michigan in the title game Saturday. “You can see how much of an impactful player he is for Denver.”

Buium could be thrust into a pressure situation if he plays immediately.

Even if the Wild defeat Calgary to clinch a playoff spot, their final seeding could still depend on their last regular-season game Tuesday at home vs. Anaheim.

The Wild would lock up the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference if they win Friday and Saturday at Vancouver and if at least one of those victories is in regulation or both end in overtime to give them the tiebreaker over St. Louis; two victories this weekend and a loss by the Blues on Saturday would also do the trick.

Where would Buium fit into the lineup?

When all defensemen are available, Declan Chisholm has been a healthy scratch because he’s better suited to playing on the second pairing rather than taking on a third-pairing assignment. Buium’s skill set would fit in higher up on the depth chart, but the Wild already have Middleton, Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin and captain Jared Spurgeon in their top four. So, it may not make sense for them to add Buium onto a third pairing that’s consistently been veterans Zach Bogosian and Jon Merrill.

Faber made a seamless transition from the Gophers to the NHL two years ago, appearing in two regular-season games before suiting up for all six playoff contests vs. Dallas, but that’s not the template for all prospects becoming pros.

And if Buium doesn’t follow in Faber’s footsteps, that’s not an indication of how the organization feels about his potential or future.

He is considered an up-and-coming pillar alongside Faber, and the Wild also have another youngster in David Jiricek after trading for the right-shot defender last November. Jiricek, however, is out for the season after suffering a lacerated spleen in Iowa’s March 22 game. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of next season when a youth movement could invade the Wild defense.

“To [Buium’s] credit, he’s been able to play in multiple World Juniors and NCAA tournaments, NCAA Final Fours, champions,” Hynes said, “so he’s got that experience, which is exciting for us.”