Wild GM Guerin says top prospect Buium will join team
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Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin said top defenceman prospect Zeev Buium will join the team before the end of the season, per The Athletic's Joe Smith.
Buium, the 12th-overall selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, was eliminated from the NCAA Frozen Four tournament in the semifinals on Thursday, as his Denver Pioneers fell 3-2 to Western Michigan in double overtime.
Guerin was speaking on KFAN1003 in Minnesota when he said that Buium will join the team in the coming days and that "he will play."
"These kids are different, man," Guerin said. "They're ready for this stuff."
Buium played over 51 minutes in the double overtime loss to Western Michigan, and finished his brilliant season with 13 goals and 48 points in 40 games. He finished third in NCAA in average ice time at 27:03 per game.
The Wild (43-29-7) are on the precipice of clinching a spot in the Western Conference playoffs, as a win against the Calgary Flames on Friday would lock up a wild-card spot.
Buium, 19, has played at each of the last two World Junior Championships, representing the United States. In 14 games at the tournament, he has five goals and 11 points.