What’s Next
NHL projection: While Buium isn’t a classicly large NHL defenseman, he should be a solid top-four defender in the NHL and a potential top-pair blueliner thanks to his ability to play in all three zones as well as create offense at a high level.
Why CBJ should draft him: In a defense-heavy draft, Buium might be the most complete choice on the blue line. He plays like a modern defenseman who can get teams out of the zone and make plays, and he’s been on nothing but winning teams the past couple of years.
Why they should not: With the Blue Jackets at the top of the draft, there might just be more talented prospects they can’t pass up, and they have some depth on the left side of the defense going forward with Zach Werenski and Denton Mateychuk.
In Buium’s Words
“I think I’m not a shutdown defenseman, but I do take pride in that game. I want to be a guy that can play those big minutes. For me, the guys at Denver, the coaching staff and players, everyone knows how much work I've put into it, how much effort we put into it. For me, it’s just working on it every day and trying to perfect it. Obviously, it’s not gonna be perfect, but the closer I can get to minimizing all kinds of mistakes I can make and be very consistent with my defensive game, the better off I’ll be.
"I love to be creative. I love to make plays. Obviously when you’re doing that, you’re gonna mess up sometimes, but that’s the game. That’s hockey. For me, I love to be creative and try to find space for my teammates and myself, and when the puck is on my stick, I’m pretty confident that I can make a pretty good play. For me, it’s trying to add more tools to my game as well and still try to be an effective player offensively
“I feel like I’m really good at reading defenders’ heels and trying to work around them. If I can just make one move and get around them, I’ll try it, but I’m pretty quick and it’s more on instinct.”
The Experts Say
Looking around the Internet, prospect experts have given their take on Catton’s game. Here’s what a few of them have to say.
Chris Peters, FloHockey: If there’s an area of Buium’s game that dramatically improved year over year, it’s his defense. He got stronger as the year went on and Denver as a whole became a better defensive team on their way to the NCAA title. As we watch Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox and Cale Makar command the league as they have the last few seasons, Buium’s freshman campaign was better than all three of those guys. I still don’t think it’s a safe projection to assume that Buium will automatically follow in their footsteps to the top of an NHL D corps, but he’s got all the makings of that kind of player.
Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News: Buium’s game is built on his intellect and ability to make the right play in any given situation continually. His offensive game is impressive because of his reads, knowing exactly when to attack off the blueline and when to defer to teammates. In transition, he is an excellent passer who hits teammates in stride but won’t force a pass. He will skate the puck out of the defensive zone and into the attacking zone if needed. In his own end, Buium plays a tactical, positional game.
Hadi Kalakeche, Dobber Prospects: The now-confirmed 6’0 defenseman has done nothing but blow past expectations and doubts all season long and has solidified his spot on our top 5. The combination of mobility, skill, two-way IQ, pro-level habits and composure have earned Zeev Buium the reputation of “most complete defender in the draft” from our team. As he enters the NHL draft, we expect Zeev to hear his name called early on day 1 and we fully expect him to make waves quickly.
