After tallying three goals and 12 points in 45 games last season, Vancouver Canucks' defenseman Zeev Buium will be looking for a career year in 2026-27. In his rookie season, Buium was sent to the Canucks as part of the Quinn Hughes trade in December 2025, where he finished with 26 points in 76 games.
Heading into his sophomore season, Buium will be in a contract year and is hoping for a long-term extension. He is one of three under-25 players to watch for the Canucks this upcoming season. If he does have a stellar first full season with the Canucks, what could his extension look like?
Going long-term with Buium?
According to AFP Analytics, they projected Buium to sign either a short-term three-year, $15.563 million deal or a long-term seven-year, $67.558 million deal. If it is a short-term deal, it would pay him $5.187 million annually. However, if it's long-term, it would pay Buium $9.651 million annually.
As of right now, Buium is in the final year of his three-year, $2.90 million entry-level contract. His current deal pays him $966,667 per season. Buium will also be a restricted free agent (RFA) at 21 years old after this upcoming season.
After seeing a jump in average time on ice (20:21), the consensus is that Buium could be on the first defensive pair with Filip Hronek once again in 2026-27. The hope is that with Buium being paired with Hronek, he could get closer to being the No. 1 defenseman of the Canucks in the near future.
It's clear he will get paid at some point this season; it's just when and what the contract could look like. If anything, it should be a long-term deal so the Canucks can lock up their best defenseman until he is 27 years old.
The San Diego, CA native showed a ton of promise last season, even when being traded partway through it. Now that he will get a full season with one team, especially in a contract year, expect a huge 2026-27 for Buium in Vancouver. A career year and a long-term extension could be going hand-in-hand for Buium and the Canucks this season.
It'll just come down to what general manager Ryan Johnson and the Canucks are willing to pay the 20-year-old left-shot defenseman. It's clear he will be their No. 1 defenseman of the future. The only question is when they will get the deal done and announced. For Canucks fans, hopefully it's sooner rather than later.
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