Zeev Buium has three points in his first five games with the Vancouver Canucks.
The recent Quinn Hughes trade sent shockwaves throughout the entire NHL. While there had been plenty of speculation that the Vancouver Canucks were going to move their captain, almost no one saw the destination being the Minnesota Wild. We say almost no one, as Dennis Bourque or @bourketuzzi predicted the trade package back in May on "X".
While this trade will sting for a while, especially if the Wild win the Stanley Cup this year, most of the focus in Vancouver has shifted to the players who came back in the deal. Of the three players currently on the roster, most of the attention and excitement has been on defenceman Zeev Buium. The 20-year-old is a dynamic defenceman who is already reminding fans of their former captain.
While it is unfair to compare Buium to Hughes, there are some similarities between the two. Both were high draft picks who were selected out of the NCAA. Like Hughes, Buium is also known for his offence as he recorded 98 points in 83 games at the University of Denver.
Buium's skating and puck handling are already starting to stand out. He has been on the Canucks top power play unit since he arrived and has shown he can carry the puck off the rush just like Hughes used to. Below is a clip from Vancouver's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, which showcases Buium's ability to create offence off the rush.
One area of the game where Buium appears to be stronger than Hughes at age 20 is in the defensive zone. Buium already has more hits in 36 games this year (11) than Hughes had in his 68-game rookie season (7). Buium also has a size advantage over Hughes as the 20-year-old is listed at 6'0", 183 lbs compared to 5'10", 180 lbs, which is the current height and weight for Vancouver's now former captain.
Lastly, one reason why their play styles may look similar is that Buium has said he models his game after Hughes. At the NHLPA Rookie Showcase, Buium spoke about how he watched Hughes a lot as the two had similar paths. So far, the video sessions seem to be working as Buium's playmaking ability has been on full display this season.
At this stage of his career, it is not a smart idea to start comparing Buium to Hughes in terms of overall impact. That being said, it is understandable why the two could be compared as they play a similar style while logging big minutes as rookies. Only time will tell if Buium can have the same impact on the organization that Hughes did, but as of right now, it is clear that the Canucks have added a high-end left-shot defenceman who should play a key role for the foreseeable future.
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