How expensive Zeev Buium's next contract could be with Vancouver Canucks
It’s one of the most fascinating decisions facing the Vancouver Canucks this offseason.
To pay, or not to pay, young defenceman Zeev Buium.
The 20-year-old rookie has been thrust into an incredibly difficult situation with the Titanic-esque Canucks. Since entering Vancouver’s lineup back in December, the Canucks have a league-worst 14-31-5 record.
Throughout all the losing, there have been flashes of why Buium was one of the NHL’s top prospects entering the season. His east-west skating ability, coupled with his above-average puck-moving skills, has been evident in spurts. Buium has also shown a level of fight and care that has earned him the respect of his teammates.
Much of that was evident in one single shift last night, where Buium put on a show for Canucks fans before scoring the game-tying goal.
You voted him 'Most Exciting Player' for a reason. š«” pic.twitter.com/D7d1B4HP4n
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 15, 2026
There’s a reason why he was named the Canucks most exciting player by the fans.
But there have been many tough learning moments as well.
No one in Vancouver has played well defensively, but Buium’s defensive rating per Hockey Stat Cards is among the NHL’s worst. While his expected goals and shots against metrics aren’t even bottom among Canucks blueliners, he’s struggled defensively while playing against relatively weaker competition on most nights.
All of this puts the Canucks in a fascinating offseason pickle.
Buium is eligible for a contract extension on July 1, with his entry-level deal expiring one year later.
For the Canucks, there is some added incentive to prioritize a long-term extension this offseason.
On Sept. 15, new NHL rules will prohibit teams from signing players to eight-year extensions. The maximum contract length for a player re-signing with their current team will be limited to seven years.
If the Canucks want to try to lock up Buium for eight years, their window is closing. So, should the Canucks prioritize extending him long-term this summer?
It’s not an easy question to answer.
There’s no guarantee when signing NHL contracts. Vancouver has learned that the hard way with Elias Pettersson.
An eight-year extension with Buium could very well pay dividends, but it’s still a sizeable risk for the Canucks at this juncture. Reports have already suggested Buium could command over $8 million per season on an eight-year deal.
With the cap rising significantly, a contract like that could very well be a discount, but it comes with risk.
The safer option on Buium is to avoid rushing into an extension this summer. While that might cost the Canucks more in the long run, there’s merit in letting Buium truly earn a pricey long-term extension, which will likely go down as the biggest contract for a defenceman in Canucks history.
Contract comparables for Buium and Canucks
The Canucks wouldn’t be the first team to make an expensive bet on a young blueliner.
But not all teams have elected to go long on their young, blue-chip defencemen right away.
Owen Power (8 x $8.35M)
The Buffalo Sabres locked up 2021 first overall pick Owen Power to an eight-year extension worth $8.35 million per season back in October of 2023, when he had one year remaining on his rookie deal.
At the time, Power had mixed results defensively, while posting four goals and 35 points in 79 games as a rookie. Even though he had the draft pedigree, he hadn’t necessarily earned the extension before the Sabres made the bet. That puts him in a similar boat as Buium, with the primary difference being that Power was a No. 1 overall pick.
Jake Sanderson (8 x $8.05M)
Jake Sanderson, another top prospect selected fifth overall in 2020, signed a long-term extension with the Ottawa Senators after just one NHL season. His offensive production as a 20-year-old rookie (four goals, 32 points in 77 games) was similar to Buium’s (six goals, 26 points, 74 games). However, he also played a massive role defensively and on the penalty kill.
While there was risk in Sanderson’s extension based on the one-season sample size, he earned it more than Buium has with the Canucks.
Jamie Drysdale (3 x $2.3M)
Jamie Drysdale, drafted sixth overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2019-20, spent his draft-plus-two season as a full-time NHLer, just like Buium. Both were touted as offensively gifted defencemen, and both had similar production at the same age, with Drysdale posting four goals and 32 points in 82 games.
Like Buium, he also struggled defensively.
Anaheim elected not to extend Drysdale that offseason. Then, the young defender tore a labrum in his shoulder and missed almost the entire 2022-23 season. The Ducks then signed him to a three-year bridge deal worth $2.3 million per season, and he didn’t really enjoy his breakout as a top-four NHLer until this year with the Philadelphia Flyers.
If Anaheim had rushed into an extension with Drysdale, it would have taken them years to reap the benefits. The Ducks also may have had trouble trading him if he continued to struggle following a long-term extension, which is pertinent because they dealt him to the Flyers for Cutter Gautier (who has 40 goals this season) in 2024.
Luke Hughes (8 x $9M)
The New Jersey Devils offer two perspectives on the Buium dilemma with their recent Luke Hughes extension. They chose not to rush into an extension after he became eligible, which led to him extending on the eve of the 2025-26 season.
Hughes signed a massive eight-year deal worth $9 million per season in October. While he continued to post respectable offensive numbers, his offensive totals were career lows. Hughes also continued to struggle defensively, making one wonder if a bridge deal would have made more sense.
Noah Dobson (3 x$4M)
Noah Dobson might represent the best path forward for the Canucks with Buium. The Islanders didn’t sign him when he was extension eligible, and he authored a breakout season as a 21-year-old. Despite his emergence, the Islanders played hardball in negotiations, leading to a three-year deal worth $4 million per season.
He continued to prove he was worth the long-term extension when the rebuilding Islanders flipped him for two first-round picks.