Zeev Buium signs $75 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Vancouver Canucks have secured their blue-line cornerstone for the long haul. General manager Ryan Johnson announced Thursday that the team has signed defenceman Zeev Buium to an eight-year contract extension carrying a $9.38 million average annual value.
The deal arrives just ahead of a key deadline. Starting September 15, new CBA rules cap extension length at seven years for players re-signing with their current club, making this one of the final eight-year deals the league will see under the old framework.
Buium, 20, arrived in Vancouver as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Quinn Hughes to Minnesota.
Since stepping into the lineup, he has shown the puck-moving instincts and calm under pressure that made him a top-15 pick in 2024. His skating and vision from the back end quickly won over fans and teammates alike.
Why The Term Makes Sense For Both Sides
For Buium, locking in long-term security at age 20 removes any uncertainty around restricted free agency and offer-sheet risk down the road.
He gets paid like a top-pairing defenceman before he has to prove it every single season, while still leaving plenty of prime years to outperform the deal.
For the Canucks, the math works too. Recent comparables like Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe have already pushed young defencemen past the $9 million mark, so locking Buium in now protects Vancouver from a much steeper number in a year or two.
Spreading the term over eight seasons also softens the cap hit relative to a shorter, pricier bridge deal.
Both sides are betting on upside, and given how quickly the market for young blueliners has shifted this year, it is a bet Vancouver could look very smart for making early.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
Frank Seravalli says Connor Hellebuyck agreed to trades involving three teams
Frank Seravalli says Connor Hellebuyck agreed to trades involving three teams