<p>Entering this year’s World Junior Championship, the American defenseman everyone was talking about was Lane Hutson.</p>



<p>But now, it’s another college standout leading the way: 2024 NHL Draft prospect Zeev Buium.</p>



<p>The University of Denver star entered the tournament leading the way with 25 points in 18 games. If we just took his 20 assists, he’d be third in scoring, tied with Hutson. Passing to Massimo Rizzo and Jack Devine – two of the NCAA’s top forwards – helps, but Buium’s two-way game is among the best of anyone in college.</p>



<p>So it’s easy to understand why the lone undrafted skater on the American roster is looking so good.</p>



<p>For NHL teams, it’s a good year to want a defenseman in the draft. At the world juniors alone, Adam Jiricek (Czechia, but left injured), Tomas Galvas (Czechia), Daniil Ustinkov and Leon Muggli (both Switzerland) made appearances with their respective countries. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="151"></div>



<p>But none looked as good as Buium, who, from the get-go, played an important role with the Americans, registering four points in five games, averaging around 19 minutes a night.</p>



<p>“His skating, his mobility, his puck control, all of his standout qualities in junior have been on display in Sweden,” a scout attending the world juniors said. “He can calm things down in his own zone when he needs to, but then he’s got the poise to make something work in USA’s favor.” </p>



<p>Buium had a difficult pre-tournament, having some off moments against both Sweden and Canada. But as the main event wore on, Buium looked more comfortable every night. He mainly played on USA’s third pairing, but he still averaged 17:04 a game as the youngest player on the team. He’s one of just two 18-year-old defenders on the squad besides New York Rangers prospect Drew Fortescue.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="149"></div>



<p>But you wouldn’t know that. Buium plays a mature game and isn’t bothered by the pressure of the situation. The Americans’ blueline was considered the team’s weak point, but when you’ve got one of the best college freshmen manning your bottom-pairing and being given difficult assignments all tournament long, that speaks volumes.</p>



<p>It helps that coach David Carle is familiar with Buium, given he also gets to watch him each weekend with the University of Denver.</p>



<p>“His confidence continues to grow,” Carle said ahead of the tournament. “He’s charismatic, engaging. He loves being at the rink.”</p>



<p>While a seven-game stretch over two weeks won’t make or a break a prospect’s season, Buium helped solidify a case to be one of the first defensemen taken in 2024. While scouts will give you different names depending on who you talk to – Anton Silyaev, Sam Dickinson and Artyom Levshunov are the most common answers – many are starting to consider Buium to be the top name available.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="165"></div>



<p>“He’s got a pro-level skillset,” an NHL scout said. “He thinks the game at a high level, plays at a high pace, knows when he needs to calm things down and he’s got the talent to get himself out of trouble. He’s exceptionally mobile, like you expect out of top defensive prospects these days.”</p>



<p>Buium’s name, pronounced .Z-eev Bou-y-YUM, will soon become more mainstream as he looks to make his mark as a top defensive NHL prospect. He can join USA at next year’s tournament and should play a leading role with guys like Hutson and Seamus Casey aging out. But this was a good first test to show what he can do against his age group on the international stage, and it won’t be too long until he’s challenging for a top-four spot on an NHL team.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="138"></div>



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