Rookie Wild Defenseman Eager to Make Impact

The Minnesota Wild have one of the most exciting rookies in the NHL as the 2025-2026 season approaches. The league got a taste of defenseman Zeev Buium in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the upcoming campaign will be the 19-year-old's first full one in the NHL.

Despite being a rookie, the Wild defender envisions himself as an immediate impactful contributor in Minnesota. Speaking to NHL.com, he explained why he believes there is an opportunity for him to capitalize on this season.

"I do think that there is an opportunity for me to step in and be a player on the team," he said. "And for me, I don't just want to be a guy who's out there-- (I want to) help this team win. So yeah, I'm going to do whatever I can to do that."

Buium is used to doing whatever it takes to win. He was a do-it-all defenseman at the University of Denver, where he played the past two years. They won the national championship during his freshman season and went to the Frozen Four semi-finals this past season.

Buium was an essential piece of both teams. Last year, he was one of the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the NCAA's best male hockey player each season.

"I'm very, very confident (heading into the season)," he stated. "I think being able to play in those couple games at the end of the year and then going to World Championships and just kind of getting those experiences around NHL players, you learn a lot."

Buium has made his mark on the international stage already as well. He made his debut at the World Championships this summer with some of the United States' best players, capturing the country's first gold medal at the event in nearly a century. He was also a member of USA's back-to-back gold medal winning team at the World Junior Championships.

His hockey resume is impressive already, and now he's eager to add to it at the NHL level. Set to occupy a spot on the Wild's blue line, he can quickly show Minnesota and the rest of the league how much of an impact he can produce.