Wild Prospect Deserves Hobey Baker Award

Minnesota Wild prospect Zeev Buium deserves to win the Hobey Baker Award this year. There's no question that the University of Denver defenseman has been the best player in the NCAA during the 2024-2025 season, and he must be recognized for his performance.

The Wild selected an absolute stud when they drafted Buium 12th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. The fact that he fell out of the top-10 was criminal, but the failure of the 11 teams in front of Minnesota led to them selecting a future number one defenseman in the vein of Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks.

As a freshman at UD, he recorded 11 goals and 50 points in 42 games. His first NCAA season left quite the impression on the hockey world.

As a sophomore, he's shown significant growth while playing an even bigger role with Denver. Through 36 games, he posted 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points and carried a +14 plus/minus. He's tied with fellow Hobey Baker finalist Mac Gadowski out of Army for the NCAA scoring lead among defensemen.

What's so impressive about his offensive game is the unlimited arsenal at his disposal, and it's what led to nine multi-point efforts throughout his sophomore year. He's an incredible puck mover and stick handler, and is capable of breaking through a forecheck by himself.

Then there's his silky skating and passing skills in the offensive zone. He sees the ice in a way most other players can't and it gives him a distinct advantage. He can think three or four steps ahead while dangling a defender, and then make a crisp pass to the open teammate.

If all of that fails, he can blast the puck. His back-to-back 10+ goal seasons in the NCAA are proof of that. He can laser a one-timer past any goalie or sneak down into the slot to fire off a snap shot. In short, he does everything well on offense.

His impact on Denver's success goes beyond offense though. Buium has a never-ending motor and is never exhausted. Denver's taken advantage of that and made the defender their ice time leader this season. According to EliteProspects, he's skated 25 minutes of ice time or more 22 times this season. There's no

His defensive game is worthy of recognition as well. Buium's skating and offensive IQ are what turns heads, those skills translate to every area of the ice. He's smart with his stick placement, keeps his feet moving, and is able to use his speed to neutralize any potential breakaways.

The Hobey Baker Award is a tight race in 2025, but there's a clear choice. Zeev Buium has been the best hockey player in the NCAA since the first game of the season, and he deserves to be named the best player in the country for 2025.