The US National Team development program had its fair share of underage players suiting up for U18 games this season. Out of that group Cole Hutson, younger brother to Lane, is where most eyes have been drawn to as offensive defensemen go. Zeev Buium deserves to be apart of that dialogue.

Like 99% of junior defensemen who can move the puck as well as Buium can, there’s definitely work to do on the defensive side of the game, especially when it comes to physical battles and coming out of the corners with the puck. However, he is far from inept. Body positioning its harder to add to a players arsenal than strength. He’s shown some real promise placing his body in between the opposing player and the puck , resulting in plays like the one below, where he takes what could have been a rush opportunity for Muskegon and wins the transition battle for USA, sending them back in the other direction. Body positioning and gap control are a different beast than physical development as far as teachability goes. Buium seems to have a decent grasp on both already.

Once he is able to add to his frame and get stronger, puck retrieval will only improve. An area where I would like to see improvement on in the upcoming season is the position he sits in the defensive zone. He often looks unsure of where he needs to be, sometimes loosing his man if the opposing player isn’t directly in the slot area. With that being said, as a very young player in the USHL, a lot of knowing where to be and when to be there comes from experience and confidence, so it’s not something I would worry about too much until we’ve seen more from him as he develops into a bigger role on this team in the coming season.

Buium’s ability to scan the ice is a hugely projectable skill that will translate to the pro game. NHL teams look for puck moving defensemen on an ever-rotating basis.

What looks like a simple breakout pass is actually much more than that, the execution shows above average deception and awareness at this level. As Buium rounds the back of the net he draws the forechecker in on him and waits until the lane opens up. The stick movement of the forechecker allows Buium to time it so that the puck misses the body and slides under the stick across ice to the USA player wheeling up the far side, right on the tape. Surprisingly execution of a play like this often goes poorly.

Onto his offensive skills, there isn’t necessarily a whole lot of flash as you see with Cole Hutson type players. There is however the ability to deceive and manipulate opposing players at a consistent rate. Buium is not going to be a constant play driver but his ability to facilitate plays is how he excels. Buium knows what to do when the puck finds his stick. You rarely see him throw the puck away in high pressure situations and he has the knack for having composure with the puck in the offensive zone.

Taking that extra handle when the puck came to him allowed for Perrault to gain that little bit of space and really open of for the shot on the low circle.

Buium showcases his manipulation abilities in this next clip, changing the angle on his shot at the last second to try and find a lane towards the net.

One of the caveats of playing at the NTDP is a lack of a prominent role for players who could be filling a bigger one at a different program. There is a case to be made for that issue here but at the end of the day I believe it helps players more than it hurts them. Playing with a good chunk of the best players at your age group gives a skater that extra compete level. It makes them change up the little quirks on how they play the game, whether that be from watching and replicating or trial and error to find new ways to accomplish things on the ice skill wise. The way that Buium shoots the puck here is a possible result of being around guys who are at that next level already.

In my favorite clip from this game, we see Buium’s ability to make space and draw the opposing teams defenders towards him opening up passing lanes.

On the first go around Buium recognizes that the angle the defender has him at is not ideal to make a play against, so he curls back and quickly goes right back in the same direction. He is able to pull that defender towards him and away from the dangerous area so that he has a better opportunity to get around him.

After evading the player challenging him at the blue line he doesn’t just throw the puck on net but is able to make a really well executed cross ice pass and create an excellent scoring opportunity.

Buium is a player I see myself taking an interest in over the course of his draft year. It will be very intriguing to see if the progression is there at the pace it needs to be. As of right now I see him somewhere around a second round prospect, but there is a whole season ahead of the 2024 draft, a lot of time to move in either direction.

Original photo credits to Dan Hickling and USA Hockey

Video courtesy of USA Hockey