The Vancouver Canucks will have to sort out the future of star defenseman Zeev Buium soon. Vancouver’s previous regime acquired the highly rated blueliner in the deal that sent Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. While the Canucks only just landed him, Buium is set to enter his final year under contract. The budding star will be a restricted free agent next summer.
On top of his precarious contract situation, at least one team has also asked for Buium in trade talks. According to Rick Dhaliwal, the Seattle Kraken picked out the young blueliner as a potential return for Shane Wright. While new Canucks co-presidents of hockey operations Daniel and Henrik Sedin are apparently interested in Seattle’s center, they do not seem willing to part ways with Buium.
Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma recently asked Buium about his expiring contract with the Canucks. Although he claimed not to be in a rush to decide his future, he did hint that he is happy in Vancouver. “My whole career, I really don’t think about it or put energy into it,” responded the defenseman. “It takes care of itself if you believe you’re doing the right things. It all evens out in the end and works out. I feel I’m in the right spot.”
Buium also raved about the city and the positivity within the Vancouver Canucks fanbase. “Seriously, I was blown away,” continued the blueliner. “Beautiful city and how we’re treated. To be last in the league and get the treatment we got is pretty awesome. It was crazy. You get more recognition. They know the game and everything about the players. Pretty cool to see how invested they are.”
Vancouver Canucks Want to Decrease Payroll Amid Zeev Buium Extension Talks
GettyVancouver Canucks star Zeev Buium finished his rookie campaign with 26 points in 76 total games.
Predicting what Buium’s next contract with the Vancouver Canucks could be is not exactly easy. Nevertheless, fans of the club have debated what the annual figure will look like in recent weeks. The defenseman posted just 12 points in 45 games with his new club during the 2025-26 season. He, however, is only 20 and will be expected to develop in the next few years.
While the Sedins and the Vancouver Canucks likely want to tie down Buium to a long-term deal, the team is looking to reduce their payroll this summer. The Province’s Patrick Johnston recently reported that Vancouver’s owners want to shed $20 million in payroll before the 2026-27 campaign. As Johnston points out, the team has already lowered this figure by $12 million. According to PuckPedia.com, Canucks have the fourth-lowest payroll in the NHL at the moment.
Vancouver Likely Prefers to Offer Blueliner an Eight-Year Extension
As they retool, the Vancouver Canucks likely prefer to shed salary by offloading expensive veteran players. Stars such as Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, and Brock Boeser have all been linked with potential moves out of town in recent weeks. This particular trio has a combined annual cap hit of over $24 million.
The Canucks can offer Buium an eight-year contract extension right now. Nevertheless, as Kuzma points out, Vancouver has until September 15 to strike a deal at this term. If not, the club can only sign the budding star to a seven-year deal. Adding the extra year could help lower the blueliner’s AAV a bit.
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