2024 Columbus Blue Jackets Draft Projections: Zeev Buium

2024 Columbus Blue Jackets Draft Projections: Zeev Buium

In February, THN's own Ryan Kennedy released his Mid-Term 2024 NHL Draft Rankings: The First Round Projection on The Hockey News main site. And it got us thinking, who in the top 5 should the CBJ draft?

Zeev Buium - Defense - University of Denver

NHL Central Scouting has Buium at 4 overall for North American skaters, which is pretty solid compared to the names around him. THN's Tony Ferrari has him at #5, TSN's Craig Button has him at #4, and Dobber Prospects has him at #5 as well. 

In his article from February Kennedy says about Buium: 

Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA): Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the NCAA season, Buium is a top-10 scorer in the nation and doing so as an 18-year-old defenseman. He has more points than Lane Hutson right now. Buium also won gold at the World Juniors with Team USA and is no slouch in his own end, either.

Stats: The 2023-24 season was his Freshman year at U of D. He played 42 games and amassed a stat line of 11-39-50. While leading his team to a National Championship, Buium was second on his team in points. The San Diego native also picked up a few awards this past season. He was awarded All-NCHC first-team honors and All-NCHC Rookie Team. He was also named NCHC Rookie Of The Year and NCHC Offensive Defenseman Of The Year. 

Measurements: 6-foot-2, 180lbs

What Scouts Are Saying

McKeensHockey.com - January 2024 - Buium can be a somewhat polarizing prospect, as he is knocked for lacking “premium athletic tools” compared to other top-of-the-class defensemen such as Anton Silayev, Artyom Levshunov, or Sam Dickinson. There’s some truth to that, as Buium isn’t as physically imposing as those names nor does he have the same kind of upside in terms of mobility.

But even with that contention in mind, Buium has the makings of an elite defenseman, and it all starts with his brain. I would contend that he is the most intelligent defenseman in this draft class, if not the smartest overall player. He processes information at such a high speed and with such efficiency that Buium often finds ways to impress in every shift, regardless of the situation.

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - December 2023 - He can handle the puck on his forehand or backhand, protect the puck as the defender closes in and maintain the awareness and vision to make a play in traffic. Buium gets to the middle of the ice to shoot, often getting into the slot to generate higher danger chances. He rarely wastes opportunities by shooting from out wider than the faceoff dots and high in the offensive zone.

The ability to create space and evade pressure at the point is an important trait for any defender looking to impact the offensive side of the game, and it’s an area where Buium subtly excels. He sets up opponents by feinting a stride to one side and then shifting his weight to quickly accelerate the other way. His puckhandling isn’t flashy with noticeable dekes, but he has displayed the ability to open the blade of his stick to indicate he plans on going in one direction before attacking the opponent's heels once they make their move.

hockeywiz777scouting.com - He’s a plus-level skater who plays an extremely involved game in all three zones, whether that’s activating into the rush or off the point, shaking pressure on exits or across the blue line, working in and out of give-and-goes, or playing tight gaps against the rush. He’s a very busy player on both sides of the puck and he gets in and out of his transitions and footwork so quickly that he can play that style. Whether it’s his evasiveness in transition or his speed on the rush, very little can keep Buium from where he wants to go on the ice.

Buium isn't talked about as much when it comes to defenseman in the upcoming draft, but he could be an absolute steal. There's no word on whether or not Buium is returning to school or going pro, but should he turn pro, he's most likely going to make the team that drafts him very happy. He's still very young at 18 and doesn't turn 19 until December, so he could benefit from another year in college. As a freshman he was already the best D-Man on his team and has a chance to be the best defender in the nation should he return to school. 

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