On Aug. 23, we at The Canucks Way wrote a piece on how Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium has a chance to earn a long-term contract in his sophomore season in the NHL. Well, just 12 days later, it happened.
The Canucks on Friday afternoon (Sept. 4) announced that they signed Buium to an eight-year, $75.04 million deal. The average annual value (AAV) will be $9.38 million annually. The best part? The extension begins on July 1, 2027, and runs through the 2034-35 season. Now that the deal is done, what does it mean for both team and player?
Buium staying in Vancouver for at least nine seasons
It did not take long for the Canucks to sign Buium to his eight-year extension, especially after acquiring him in the Quinn Hughes trade back in December 2025. He ended up tallying three goals and 12 points in 45 games during the 2025-26 season.
AFP Analytics projected Buium to sign a seven-year, $67.558 million deal, but the 20-year-old got the extra year and even more money. With how he played last season, especially after being part of the first defensive pair with Filip Hronek, along with the jump in average time on ice (20:21), it makes sense to get a deal done now.
With how contracts are going up, along with cap space, it was better to sign Buium to a long-term deal sooner rather than later. Furthermore, signing him to a deal with an AAV under $10 million is a steal for the Canucks. The idea is that Buium could be seen as the No. 1 defenseman for the Canucks in the near future.
After the announcement of the deal, Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson stated, “Zeev has settled in nicely with our organization since his trade to Vancouver last season, and we are extremely happy to see him make this long-term commitment to the Canucks. He is a key member of our young core and a player we will build around moving forward. Zeev has a lot of upside, and we feel with his abilities he will flourish in the system and environment we are creating inside our locker room. We look forward to working together and creating a strong partnership and foundation for our future.”
What makes this deal even better for the Canucks is that Buium will be 29 years old when the deal expires after the 2034-35 season. By the time the Canucks get to the end of the deal, the cap will be higher, and they could sign him to another extension, keeping him a Canuck for most of his career.
Overall, this is a win-win deal for both sides. Buium gets the security he needs at 20 years old in a contract year, and the Canucks ink their future No. 1 defenseman now at a steal of a deal. Now both parties can focus on the 2026-27 season and not worry about an extension.
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