Defenseman Buium ‘really thankful for the opportunity’; Vegas expects to stay out of penalty box
© Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — Zeev Buium will become the first player in Minnesota Wild history to make his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round series against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday (10 p.m. ET; FDSNNO, SCRIPPS, ESPN, SN360, SN, TVAS).
The 19-year-old defenseman has practiced with Minnesota for the past three days and took part in the morning skate. He will be paired with veteran Zach Bogosian, who has played 17 seasons in the NHL.
“I’m very, very excited,” Buium said after the 45-minute practice. “I’m just really thankful for the opportunity. I mean, these guys have built toward this the entire season, so I just want to go out there and do whatever I can help.”
Buium said his parents will be in attendance for Game 1. He joked he was unsure if he will be required to do the traditional rookie lap because It is a playoff game on the road.
“I will do whatever they tell me,” he said, laughing.
Buium, a first-round pick (No. 12) by the Wild at the 2024 NHL Draft, had 48 points (13 goals, 35 assists) in 41 games while averaging 27:03 of ice time per game as a sophomore at the University of Denver. He was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA men’s hockey player, a First Team All-American, and was selected as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Player of the Year and the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year. He was one of two players to be a unanimous selection to the All-NCHC First Team.
His teammates are excited for what he can possibly bring to the attack.
“It’s a cool experience for him, that’s for sure; it’s something he will never forget,” defenseman and Wild captain Jared Spurgeon said.
Buium, who replaces Jon Merrill, is the only change for either team in Game 1.
For Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy, he is curious how his team will react at the start of the playoffs, whether it will be able to feed off the energy of the crowd or be out of sorts at the start because of the heightened emotions.
“I think it is human nature to be amped up,” Cassidy said. “We want to temper it but pull it out too. Don’t run around and be that guy. If you are not a physical presence out there, I don’t want a guy chasing hits that doesn’t normally hit because it’s the playoffs. Just be the best version of yourself.”
Here is a breakdown of Game 1:
Wild: Minnesota lost to Vegas the previous time they played in the postseason, dropping a seven-game series in the first round in 2021. They also lost all three regular-season games against the Golden Knights this season, but they say none of it matters. Forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are rounding into form after being injured for much of the second half of the regular season. Kaprizov missed 41 games but had six points (two goals, four assists) in his last six of the regular season. Eriksson Ek played the last four games and scored the goal in Minnesota’s final game of the season against the Anaheim Ducks that sent the game to overtime and provided the needed standings point to secure this matchup.
Golden Knights: Vegas expects to play this series at 5-on-5. It took a League-low 174 minor penalties, an NHL record. The Wild were 12th in penalties taken. But Cassidy believes his team can punish Minnesota if it does take penalties. The Golden Knights were second in the League, converting on 28.3 percent of their power plays and hovering above 30 percent for much of the season.
NHL Tonight: Wild, Golden Knights series preview
Number to know: The Golden Knights are hard to defeat when they have the lead. They went 31-4-3 (.816) during the regular season when ahead after the second period.
What to look for: How will Wild coach John Hynes use Buium? He will start as a top-four defenseman, but Hynes admitted this is a gamble to put the young player in this position. If he struggles, does Hynes try to shelter his minutes and matchups, or does he ride it out to let the player find his footing?
“We want to come out on our toes, we want to dictate how we want to play. I think the competitive nature and the adrenaline will be there. I think it is just focus, smart play with the puck and get after it.” — Wild coach John Hynes
“I mean, in the playoffs you are expecting to have the puck in the first period and the puck doesn’t find you at all, and now you are like I have to go do something. I’ve got to cheat. You got to be careful of that. You just have to play your game.” — Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy
Wild projected lineup
Kirill Kaprizov — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy
Marcus Johansson — Frederick Gaudreau — Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Foligno — Marco Rossi — Gustav Nyquist
Yakov Trenin — Ryan Hartman — Justin Brazeau
Jonas Brodin — Brock Faber
Jacob Middleton — Jared Spurgeon
Zeev Buium — Zach Bogosian
Filip Gustavsson
Marc-Andre Fleury
Scratched: Jon Merrill, Declan Chisholm, Vincent Hinostroz, Devon Shore, Jesper Wallstedt
Injured: None
Golden Knights projected lineup
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone
Brandon Saad –Tomas Hertl — Pavel Dorofeyev
Victor Olofsson — William Karlsson — Reilly Smith
Brett Howden — Nicolas Roy — Keegan Kolesar
Nicolas Hague — Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Zach Whitecloud
Adin Hill
Ilya Samsonov
Scratched: Alexander Holtz, Ben Hutton, Kaedan Korczak, Tanner Pearson, Akira Schmid, Cole Schwindt
Injured: None
Status report
Buium will make his NHL debut; he was the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and signed on April 13 following his collegiate season at the University of Denver. … Shore, a forward, was recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League on Sunday. … The Golden Knights held an optional morning skate.
🔹Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
🔹Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
🔹Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals
🔹New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes
🔹St. Louis Blues vs. Winnipeg Jets
🔹Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
🔹Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights
🔹Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
