RALEIGH, N.C. — When Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery got an early look at the Minnesota Wild this season, and specifically their power play, one player in particular popped off the screen.

Rookie defenseman Zeev Buium.

“Eight is going to be a player in this league,” Carberry said of Buium. “He’s your prototypical (Quinn) Hughes, (Cale) Makar type of defenseman. Lateral mobility, deception, holding onto pucks, finding shot lanes and seams.”

There’s been a genuine excitement about Buium, 19, the Wild’s top prospect, during his first full NHL season. The franchise has never had a defenseman with his combined skill set: offensive ability, skating, instincts. But the season hasn’t been without growing pains.

For every special flash, like Buium slipping into the slot to redirect a Brock Faber shot for a power-play goal Tuesday, there has been a mistake or a bad defensive read. The Wild are getting outscored 12-5 in his five-on-five minutes, per Natural Stat Trick. He’s been demoted from the top power play to the second and sheltered on the third pair.

The two-time World Juniors gold medalist and national champion with the University of Denver is his own harshest critic and offered a blunt assessment of it so far.

“I’ve been average,” Buium told The Athletic. “I don’t think I’ve been exceptionally crazy at anything. I don’t think I’ve done anything crazy bad. I’ve made mistakes here and there. Besides one or two, a few, mistakes, I don’t think anything is seeming out of this world.

“There’s been spurts, taking over a little bit using my skill set, making a push — but, for me, it’s doing that all the time.”

Faber to Buium. PPG and it’s a beauty. 2-1 #mnwild pic.twitter.com/ta3dsbuH5z

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) November 5, 2025

Buium is averaging 18:44 per game, but he’s primarily been on the third pair during the six-game homestand that ended Tuesday, playing with fellow young defenseman David Jiricek. That could change with the Wild heading on the road for two games, Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes and Friday against the New York Islanders.

As much as Buium is known for his offensive gifts and ability to drive play, he takes a lot of pride in his play in his own end, and that’s evolving at this level.

“That’s always been a strength of my game,” Buium said. “For me, right now, it’s about showing the coaching staff. They were not watching me in college or scouting me. It’s my job to show them and earn their trust. I’ve always been a player, especially in the big games, knowing what the game needs and bringing that (whether it’s) playing defensively or making a push offensively.

“I want to produce. I want to score. For me, it’s finding that balance. You can’t force it.”

There was the play Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks when Buium darted into the offensive zone and tried to create. He circled the net, looking for an opening. His pass up the boards bounced off Vladimir Tarasenko and led to an odd-man rush by Vancouver. On the backcheck, Buium didn’t make his read quick enough to get Mackenzie MacEachern on the right side. Neither did Matt Boldy, who should have had the eventual goal-scorer, Drew O’Connor, in the middle.

The Wild don’t want to take the creativity and dynamism out of Buium’s game, and they can use the offense. He’s got three goals and nine points through 14 games, putting him on pace for 53 points. Coach John Hynes appreciates Buium’s coachability and understanding that he’s still a work in progress. Not everyone is Faber, who stepped in right away as a rookie and played top-four, shutdown minutes.

DOC with the follow-up! pic.twitter.com/f1FGeqYJsw

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 2, 2025

“He’s progressing,” Hynes said of Buium. “He’s learning every day. From a defensive aspect, I think he’s really understanding how hard the league is, how important the little details are. He’s an excellent player. Not that he doesn’t know how to defend, but there are different things. For example, if he’s playing a play below the goal line and it moves low to high, as soon as the puck moves, now your defensive position matters right away. Sometimes, guys might drift up a little bit and say, ’Now, I’ve got to find my guy.’

“The diligence in his game and him understanding when the time is right and when the time isn’t, I’ve seen progress in that as well.”

Former Wild center and current color analyst Wes Walz pointed out that Buium likely picked up bad habits playing nearly half of every game in college. He was Denver’s play-driver and its shutdown defenseman, too, but he could pace himself at his own end. The difference at this level, as Faber has brought up, is how magnified everything is. Every mistake can end up in the back of your net.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Wild have a 43.9 percent expected goal share when Buium’s on the ice at five-on-five. That’s 8.53 expected goals for and 10.89 against, so he’s been a little bit unlucky to actually be on the ice for five goals for and 12 against.

The goal Buium was on the ice for on Tuesday, for example, came when Tyler Pitlick muffed a pass along the boards in the Wild zone, with the turnover leading to an odd-man situation for the Predators. Buium, anticipating a breakout, had already streaked up to the neutral zone. Perhaps Buium moved up the ice too quickly, but that goal wasn’t all on him.

“The one thing that separates him from most players — and when you think about Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, those type of guys — when the game is played five-on-five, and the pucks go from low to high, and they have a little bit of room at the top of the zone, it brings fans out of their seats,” Walz said. “His footwork is incredible. He’s taking too many chances up there right now. He’s got to pick and choose the spots a little bit more. He can’t try to break somebody down every time he gets the puck when it goes low to high. He’s going to learn. But he’s already broken a few ankles, and we’re only (14) games in.

“I get excited watching what he’s going to do. It’s either going to be really good or really bad. But he’s going to figure it out. He’s just so exciting to watch. I can’t take my eyes off him.”

Walz also thinks Buium’s reaction to his own mistakes is a good sign. There’s no bad body language, no jitters on his next shift, no hesitation.

“That’s a true gift to have that kind of quality, that confidence,” Walz said. “I don’t get the impression he’s cocky. But he’s very confident in his ability. All the great players, they have that. It’s like Michael Jordan. He misses all these shots, and he still wants the ball at the end. ‘Give me the ball.’ I love that.”

Buium has said he was more nervous for the preseason opener this fall than his NHL debut in the spring, which came in Las Vegas during the playoffs. Training camp was all about finding his comfort level in the Wild’s system while still being able to “be me.” Boldy aided his transition by inviting the rookie to live with him over the summer, with Buium only moving into his own place a few weeks ago.

Buium routinely stays on the ice after practice, even the optional ones, working on his game. It’s not just Hynes who communicates with him; it’s associate coach Jack Capuano and retired NHLer and current player development adviser Alex Goligoski. Hynes said it’s important for Buium to understand what’s going on, and “it’s not always going to be easy and perfect.”

Getting taken off the first power play was an adjustment. Buium compared it to getting a new job. Even if you were really good at your old job, you still have to impress and earn the trust of the new boss.

“If they think that’s best for the team, that’s just what they believe,” Buium said. “Everyone is a good player on this team, so I’ve got to do what I can. I don’t like making the excuse of being young. To me, that’s bulls—. Being younger doesn’t mean anything. If you can play in this league, you can play in this league. It doesn’t matter if you’re 35 or 18. I want to prove that as soon as possible.

The start of the year has been difficult for everybody, including Buium, who has won everywhere he’s been. He feels the pressure will only help the Wild as they go deeper into the season. Right now, he’s keeping it all in perspective.

“You get so fixated on hockey, the sport you’re playing, you want to be the best, you forget to take a step back,” he said. “This is something you’ve dreamed about your whole life. It’s about still being grateful and understanding where you are.”