The Vancouver Canucks have made their long-term call on Zeev Buium, handing the 20-year-old defenseman an eight-year contract worth $9.38M AAV.
It’s a major commitment, but it lines up cleanly with the stage Vancouver is in right now. Buium came back to the Canucks as a key part of the Quinn Hughes trade, and a deal like that only works if the return turns into more than just a useful player. Vancouver needed a cornerstone on the blue line, and this is the bet they’re making.
Buium’s first season in Vancouver gave the organization enough reason to move forward with confidence. He finished with 12 points in 45 games after arriving in a difficult situation on a team that struggled to create offense. Before that, he had 14 points in 31 games with the Minnesota Wild, a stretch that showed the puck-moving ability that made him the 12th overall pick in 2024.
The Canucks are clearly planning to put him right in the middle of things. He’ll run the power play, get used in all situations, and be pushed toward becoming a true top-pair defenseman.
The price tag is real, but in today’s NHL, $9.38M AAV is the kind of number teams can live with if the player grows into it. Buium hasn’t fully proven he belongs at that level yet, but that’s the point of a deal like this: Vancouver is paying for the upside and giving him the runway to reach it.
On paper, the fit makes sense. Buium was drafted 12th overall in 2024 and has long been viewed as a modern, high-IQ defenseman with top-pair potential. The Canucks are young, rebuilding, and at least 3-5 years away from pushing for anything meaningful, which puts their timeline right alongside his development.
There isn’t much downside here for Vancouver. They have cap space, they have patience, and they don’t need to force the issue.
By the time this contract is expected to matter most, Buium should have had plenty of time to settle in, take on more responsibility, and grow into the role. If he reaches the level the Canucks believe he can, this becomes a cornerstone deal.
If he doesn’t, the team still isn’t stuck.
It’s a straightforward move with a clear message: Vancouver is betting on youth, upside, and a defenseman they believe can help define what comes next.
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