Buium completed his first professional season after winning a national championship with the Denver Pioneers. He earned the trust of the coaching staff quickly, finding himself firmly entrenched in their top-four and on the power-play as an AHL rookie. He finished with two goals and 23 assists in 66 games, good for second amongst rearguards on the team. He was not afraid to leverage his 6’3”, 220-pound frame to retrieve pucks, lay the body, and block shots, which indicate he has the foundation to build a successful professional career. As he gains more experience and develops his top-end speed and offensive activation, he could push for an NHL role by 2026. l

Buium is another big-bodied, left-shot defender who has improved slowly but incrementally over the past five years. He does not have the raw fantasy upside of his younger brother and college teammate, Zeev, but he knows what it takes to win, having helped carry the University of Denver to a remarkable two National Championships. Tracking stats from 2023-24 show that he dramatically improved his transition play this year at the expense of defensive proficiency compared to his last campaign. That progression shows that he can play different roles depending on what his team needs from him. If he can continue to improve his skating and limit the mistakes that scouts consistently flagged in his draft year, Buium is on track to make key contributions in a limited role with Detroit.

Buium transitioned phenomenally well to the NCAA from the USHL. He was able to adapt to the Pioneers’ defensive system at the University of Denver and was able to help them all the way to the NCAA championship. He played the third most minutes for defenders behind Sean Behrens and Michael Benning for the Pioneers and was able to drive play with a 63% Fenwick, which was fourth on the team for all skaters. He has good size and uses it to position himself to protect the puck and outmuscle opponents, but he does not throw many hits. He has a good shot, but barely registered three shots every two games and just over a block in the same amount of games. He will not likely contribute too much in multicategory leagues and I am not sure he has a high points upside, but he is looking likely to get NHL games.