Canucks' Wild boys finding their way, leading into the future

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Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and Marco Rossi all know there’s lots more to do, but they’re pumped to be at the centre of what they hope is to come for the Vancouver Canucks

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Published Mar 26, 2026 • 4 minute read

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Marco Rossi (left) is congratulated by Liam Ohgren after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers earlier this month Photo by Verity Griffin /Getty ImagesArticle content

The Vancouver Canucks are closing the 2025-26 season as one of the NHL’s youngest teams.

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That’s quite the contrast for the Canucks’ “wild” bunch of Zeev Buium, Liam Öhgren and Marco Rossi. According to the NHL’s data, the Canucks’ roster is currently the league’s third youngest, while the Wild are the fourth oldest.

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For Buium, who is just 20, this is a dressing room that feels much more familiar than the one he sat in Minnesota.

“Very, very old,” he laughed earlier this week, when asked to compare the two rooms. Obviously, in Minnesota the experienced teammates he had there taught him a lot and he valued that, but now in Vancouver, he knows it’s an open book. This can and should be his cohorts’ team. Everything is on them.

That he got traded along with two guys who aren’t far off his age helped a bunch.

“I think when we got traded here, we really became closer,” he said of Rossi, who is 24, and Öhgren, who is almost two years older.

“It’s not been an easy road,” Buium admitted nonetheless. “For me, it’s finding the confidence in every game. I can feel myself becoming more and more (inclined) to do what I want to do. And I think that it’s all confidence and believing in yourself. Trusting in yourself.”

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Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium jostle in front of the net at Canucks practice at Rogers Arena on March 11 Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

Like most young players, that doesn’t always come right away. Every step up to the NHL has taken him a minute to adjust. The NHL by its very nature is the hardest step he will even take.

“Every time you move up a level — it doesn’t matter if it’s from junior to college or to the NHL — you want to see yourself be able to pull off things that you want to do. And I think, slowly, I’m starting to see myself able to do it. That just gives you more confidence to know I can do this at this level. That’s kind of the big thing for me,” he explained.

He and Rossi have become especially close. They are living near each other in the Olympic Village.

“Marco is just so steady,” Buium noted. “He’s a really good guy, how he cares so much, so competitive. Doesn’t share it with everybody, but I know him pretty well. I think that (the trade) probably brought us a little bit closer, for sure.”

He laughed.

“A bit of ‘Where are we? What are we doing?’ But I think we also kind of gelled well in Minnesota right away. I think he was kind of looking for another young guy,” Buium concluded.

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Even though he is still theoretically a young player by NHL standards, he’s still got more experience than many of his teammates. So Rossi says he is consciously trying to help his younger teammates keep their chins up, as much as anything.

“I’m maybe not the most talkative person,” Rossi admitted. “I’m not here screaming around. But you know, I’m really looking for the young guys. I can really lead them and show them. I can give them a lot of confidence. I know when you’re a young guy, you make a mistake, it’s maybe not easy. You’re thinking too much about that one mistake. So I try to help them, tell them that everyone makes mistakes, and just keep going, keep pushing.”

Öhgren said he is really finding his way. Getting to play with Rossi has been a big help. Although they were teammates in Minnesota, they were hardly ever on the ice together.

“(Rossi) is so smart,” he said, smiling. “His hockey IQ is really high. And he can make a play anywhere on the ice.”

Öhgren is getting more ice time in Vancouver and he has been making more things happen offensively in those minutes too. His shot rate, both personally and his team’s, are up now that he is playing a regular role with the Canucks.

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“I think it’s been great for me, and I have had a lot of opportunities, been playing a lot. I brought to show that I can play at this level. I think it’s been a really good way so far in Vancouver, and I’m really happy about it.”

Zeev Buium gets a leg up on forward Chandler Stephenson of the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena earlier this month Photo by Derek Cain /Getty Images

Buium said he is happy for Öhgren, a guy who he played against often at the world juniors before becoming teammates in Minnesota. He is pleased about the progress that Öhgren’s made with the Canucks. He is certainly getting more opportunities with the Canucks, a good thing for everyone in the long run.

“I think he probably was a little bit more sheltered than I was in Minnesota,” he said. “I don’t think he got as much opportunity. He’s obviously a great player and Minnesota had a lot of great forwards and players. I think he got put in positions in Minnesota where you almost strictly go play offence and do your thing.”

Ironically, even though everyone wants to score goals, the more all-around role the Canucks have given Öhgren — he is killing penalties, for example — Buium thinks has helped Öhgren play a little looser, and to not squeeze his stick so tight.

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“I think him coming here was kind of a big weight off his shoulders to get him to do his thing,” Buium said. “It’s fun to see what he can do, and it’s fun to see people see it. It’s like he’s been doing this for forever, but now he’s just getting more volume. So I love seeing him succeed.”

Öhgren, for his part, grinned about how he has been playing.

“I want to play with the speed. Be hard on pucks, win puck battles. Use my skills that I know I have, and use my shot and contribute.”

The Canucks only hope to see more of just that from all three.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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Canucks’ Wild boys finding their way, leading into the future

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