Zeev Buium quarterbacks top power play in practice, could debut in Wild playoff opener

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ST. PAUL, Minn. – Kirill Kaprizov is considered a top 10 player in the NHL and the first legit superstar in Wild history. Nothing fazes a guy who burst onto the scene with a three-point game and the overtime winner against the L.A. Kings in his NHL debut, yet even Kaprizov can’t imagine what it would be like for Zeev Buium to make his NHL debut during Stanley Cup playoffs inside rabid T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.

“It’s crazy,” Kaprizov said after Buium quarterbacked the top power play during Thursday’s practice. “I play in Ufa at 19.”

Kaprizov, who made his NHL debut three months before his 24th birthday, laughed hard.

“It’s not easy, for sure, for him, but he’s played a bunch of games in world juniors and college,” Kaprizov said. “I understand it’s junior league and stuff like that, but everyone need to step up (levels at some point). I think it’s nice for him. He had nice year this year and now he’s booming in the NHL. (Brock) Faber did it a couple years ago. Same time, I know Faber played a couple (regular-season) games first (before the 2023 playoffs).”

Coach John Hynes wouldn’t declare it official yet that Buium — the Hobey Baker finalist, two-time World Junior gold medalist and 2024 NCAA national champ — will dive right into the Wild’s Game 1 lineup a little more than a week after his University of Denver career concluded. But after not debuting in the Wild’s regular-season finale Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks, the 2024 first-round pick quarterbacked the No. 1 power-play unit of Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek during Wednesday’s practice and took Jon Merrill’s spot on the third defense pair with Zach Bogosian.

That sure seems like the king of all tells that the Wild aren’t going to wait for Buium to be an injury replacement or series momentum-shifter out of the bullpen a game or two in.

Still: “I would just take it day by day with him right now,” Hynes said behind what looked like the world’s worst poker face. “I don’t want to get too far ahead with it, particularly now that we have two days off. Now, you ask me that question Saturday, I’ll have the answer for you for sure. But today was like, ‘OK, let’s see some things,’ what it looks like and just keep moving forward with our team.

“We’re healthy and I think it was a good day for Zeev to put him in some situations that we think he can help us in, and just continue to try to make him feel comfortable and understand what’s going on.”

The Wild won’t practice Friday before flying to Las Vegas in the afternoon, so we’ll get more clarity during and after Saturday’s practice in Summerlin, Nev., about whether we could see Buium debut Sunday night.

If Buium debuts, he’ll become the first Wild player in history to make his NHL debut in the playoffs. According to NHL Stats, since 1927 when the Stanley Cup was competed for solely by NHL teams, there have been 151 players that made their NHL debut in the playoffs. The last player to make his NHL debut in the playoffs was Nikolai Kovalenko on April 28, 2024 with Colorado.

But Buium, who can’t legally drink a beer in Vegas or drop some of his recently-cashed signing bonus onto a blackjack or craps table, certainly strutted his stuff during Thursday’s practice, his first with the full team. Buium admitted to Hynes that it was an initial adjustment from college just when it comes to the increased speed of practice and how quickly one must make plays on the power play or move the puck at five-on-five before defenders converge.

But Buium has spent time with assistant coach Jack Capuano going over systems work, and Hynes chatted with Pioneers coach David Carle on Wednesday to learn more about Buium and how best to use such a special player in such a high-pressure situation.

Buium was sure looking confident and not out of place.

“It was awesome,” he said. “Obviously, really nice to get out there with all of them and get a real practice under me. I felt better as the practice went on. … This is the highest level, this is where you want to be. If my name gets called upon, I’ll be ready.”

Buium said he was a bit jittery at the beginning but as he got more touches and practice grew longer, he felt more and more confident.

The biggest adjustment? “Everything’s just quicker, just puck decisions,” he said. “Guys are moving faster and getting to spots quicker. I think that’s just probably the main thing I realized out there, was just moving the puck quicker. And just your decision making needs to be one step ahead. They’re so talented and smart and everything, so they make it pretty easy out there. It’s fun to play with guys like that and get that opportunity.”

Kaprizov skated with Buium before the Wild faced the Ducks and noticed quickly how he came as advertised.

“He’s really good,” Kaprizov said, before laughing hysterically. “I don’t know how his defense is, but offense — I’m just kidding. I don’t saw him his defense. I just saw his highlights offense, and in the practice we usually do some stuff on the power play and one-on-one or two-on-one. I don’t saw D-zone. I think he’s good. He’s nice kid and so smart, I think. Skilled guy.”

It’s never easy for a young kid to step into the lineup at this time of year, especially because of the awkwardness around a new arrival causing somebody that’s been playing all year, like Merrill, to come out.

And it sure felt like Hynes and the Wild brass planned to start with Merrill in the lineup. Maybe it was Merrill’s turnovers, including in Tuesday’s finale, that caused this decision, or just the appeal of adding the pizzazz of a player as dynamic as Buium. He’s just so good offensively that in sheltered minutes at five-on-five, he could add a dangerous dimension to a power play that has the ability to take advantage of Vegas’ 26th-ranked penalty kill.

Plus, it would mean the Wild wouldn’t start the playoffs with a five-forward power-play unit. Marco Rossi was replaced by Buium and practiced on the No. 2 unit Thursday with Marcus Johansson, Freddy Gaudreau, Gustav Nyquist and Jared Spurgeon.

“I’m excited for (Buium) … if that’s the way it is,” veteran Marcus Foligno said. “He’s such a good kid. I’ve gotten to know him for the past three days. And, yeah, I’m just excited. We all want this guy in the lineup. We know it’s big, but if there’s one guy he can look to it’s Brock Faber about how to come in.

“I know Brock had a couple games in before playoffs, but playoffs are playoffs and it doesn’t matter. It’s your first game to get thrown in there. I think just the way Zeev holds himself, carries himself, I think he’s going to be just fine going into Game 1 against Vegas, and he’s got the support of us as teammates, his new teammates now. And we want him to flourish. If he can be the offensive guy that we saw in college and can help us get some other looks and plays, that’s all we (want). We just gotta make sure that we’re giving him a confidence booster there that we want him to do those things and back him up.”

Buium privileged to witness Tuesday’s aftermath

Buium didn’t get to play in Tuesday’s dramatic victory over Anaheim in which Eriksson Ek tied the game with 22 seconds left to clinch a playoff spot for the Wild, but he couldn’t believe he got to be in the locker room after the game to witness Foligno awarding the game puck to Marc-Andre Fleury after his 575th and final regular-season win.

Fleury, named the only star of the game, got to play overtime when Filip Gustavsson went to the bench after the third period to give his partner one final sendoff and make him the goalie of record. Boldy won the game in the final seconds of overtime.

“It was incredible,” Buium said. “I mean, what a game, too, to watch for them to make it in. It was awesome. Was incredible to see them battle back like that and find a way. And obviously Fleury going in in overtime, grew up watching him, he’s a legend, so that was extremely cool. It was awesome to be able to be in the locker room with all them after and experience that with them. That was great.”

Took care of business

Because the Calgary Flames rallied to defeat Vegas in overtime after the Wild’s game concluded Tuesday, had Eriksson Ek not scored, the Wild would have been sweating out Calgary’s season finale Thursday night in Los Angeles.

If the Flames won against the Kings, the Wild would have been eliminated from the postseason.

“Nope. I could not imagine,” Foligno said. “Practice probably would have been a hell of a lot different. Probably a couple skates at the end of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’re 20 seconds away from finding that out, but I guess we’ll never know.”

Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek well-rested

Just having Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek back from injuries heading into the playoffs creates a different complexion going up against a formidable opponent like Vegas, a true Stanley Cup contender and the Pacific Division champion looking to win the Cup for the second time in three years.

Kaprizov only played 41 games this season and Eriksson Ek 46, so they’re fresh. Eriksson Ek scored five times in four games since their returns, while Kaprizov scored two goals and two assists.

“Playoffs is the second season. I think you feel renewed life too as well,” Hynes said. “So I think for Kirill and Ekky that that time off, yes, sometimes I think that that could be a benefit. Just not as many miles on the body throughout the year.

“But in saying that, they’re also coming off of injuries and recovering from those things. I’d say excited to have those guys healthy and playing the way that they’re playing, but I think that our team in general, once you get through that regular season, now you come back today, it is a renewed excitement I think for everybody.”

Best of JoJo

Often-maligned Johansson is playing his best hockey of the season. Overshadowed Tuesday night was the fact he scored Minnesota’s first goal, then assisted on Boldy’s overtime winner.

He has been a top-six winger for most of this season, yet scored five goals and 19 points in his first 51 games. In the last 21, he scored six goals and 15 points.

“It’s good to see him playing the way that he is playing,” Hynes said. “Obviously, the production is good but I think he’s been very consistent to get that production. Skating’s been a factor. I really liked his competitiveness. He’s able to log ice time. He’s playing in a lot of different situations for us. Jo’s a really smart player, and he’s got good skill. But I think when he’s playing a speed game and his competitive nature is high, I think those are the two triggers that allow him to be able to produce, get chances and be a hard player to play against.”

(Photo of Joel Eriksson Ek: Derek Cain / Getty Images)





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