Wild's Zeev Buium: Has big role

Although Buium didn't record a point in his NHL regular-season debut Thursday, he did log big minutes in the 5-0 victory over St. Louis.

Buium got 20:10 of ice time, including 2:15 with the man advantage. If that workload is a preview of things to come, then Buium is perfectly positioned to have a fantastic rookie campaign. The 19-year-old was taken with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He excelled as a sophomore with the University of Denver in 2024-25, recording 13 goals, 48 points and 44 PIM in 41 outings. He also registered an assist in four playoff outings with Minnesota last year.