Zeev Buium has been with the Vancouver Canucks for less than a month, but he is already showing why he was the centrepiece of the Quinn Hughes trade. The 20-year-old defenceman has three points in nine games since being acquired and is already averaging over 20 minutes a night. The future is bright for Buium, which is good news for both the Canucks as an organization and the fan base.
While Buium is coming from a passionate hockey market in Minnesota, playing in a Canadian market like Vancouver is a new experience. Fans live and breathe Canucks hockey, which leads to a level of passion that few other markets can replicate. While he has only been with the organization for a few months, Buium is already learning how different it is to play in a Canadian market.
"It's awesome," said Buium. "I think the first thing that stands out is the fans and how passionate they are. How much they care. It's the best atmosphere to play in."
Over his first nine games, Buium has spent the majority of his minutes on a pair with Tyler Myers. Outside of age, the two share some similarities, including both being high draft picks who made their NHL debuts as teenagers. Buium was asked about his partnership with Myers and some of the early lessons he has learned from a defenceman who has played over 1,100 NHL games.
"Just being a sponge and taking everything I can for a moment, squeezing every ounce of information I can out of them. He's obviously been around a really long time, so I think for me, it's just listening to him, trying to learn from him. I'd be dumb not to try to take everything I can from him."
After a tough start to the season, it appears that Vancouver's management group has decided to focus on adding younger players rather than once again pushing for a playoff spot. The Canucks have one of the youngest rosters in the league and currently feature four players under the age of 22. While it will take some time before Vancouver is once again a contender, Buium is excited for the future and the opportunity to grow with the group.
"I think I've said this before, but you've got to be ready for every opportunity. And I think it's cool to come here and be a little bit of a younger team. Try to get to the point where we're winning again. And I think it's really cool to be a part of that. And hopefully, starting this year, but obviously, over the next couple of years, really start to win and push the playoffs."
On top of team success, Buium is focused on being the best player he can be. He has already taken significant steps in his development and has the potential to be a number one defenceman at the NHL level. As Buium explained, he is focused on getting better every day, which includes putting in as much extra work both on and off the ice.
"I just want to get better. I think every year I have the same mentality of never focusing on the outside noise or the points or anything. Just working and getting better. I feel like I know it's the NHL, but I've been through so many different situations in my hockey career, whether I was at Shattuck or NTDP or Denver. I feel like I can use those experiences to help me now. And I think for me, the focus is just to become the best player I can be and do everything I can. I think that's, that's the biggest thing. It's focusing on the gym and trying to get everything I can out of there. Being the last guy on the ice. Working on my craft and trying to become the best player I can be. When you're young, you can do that. You can work out more. You can skate more. You have so much more to develop. So I think it's just really exciting that every day, every game, is an opportunity to get better. And you know, I look forward to that every day."
While Buium has only played a handful of games with the Canucks, he is already living up to expectations. His skating and puck-handling ability have been on full display as the 20-year-old is averaging just over 2.5 shot attempts per game. If Buium can keep developing at his current pace, it won't be long before he is playing full-time on Vancouver's top pair.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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