The Vancouver Canucks signed defenseman Zeev Buium to an eight-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $9.38 million, the team announced Friday.
The deal begins in the 2027-28 season. The Canucks needed to sign Buium before Sept. 15, when the NHL's new contract rules go into effect, to lock in an eighth year.
Buium was a part of the package that the Canucks landed from the Minnesota Wild in the Quinn Hughes trade last season. He registered 26 points in 76 games between the two clubs in his rookie campaign.
"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," general manager Ryan Johnson said in a statement.
"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."
Buium will be the Canucks' highest-paid defenseman and second-highest-paid player when his new contract kicks in, trailing only Elias Pettersson ($11.6 million).
The Wild drafted Buium 12th overall in 2024. The highly touted blue-liner won a pair of world junior gold medals with the United States and a national championship at the University of Denver before making the jump to the NHL.
