It was always going to be difficult for the Vancouver Canucks to win the Quinn Hughes trade.
When they dealt the superstar defenseman to the Minnesota Wild, the Canucks likely knew they were giving up the best player in the deal — not just in the present but also likely over the course of the trade.
The hope would be that the multiple assets they acquired in return could help build the Canucks into a contender again.
And for that to happen, a lot rested on the shoulders of Zeev Buium.
The young defenseman was viewed by some as the centerpiece of the deal. Given he plays on the blue line, like Hughes, it was the easiest spot to reach a comparison.
Right now, though, less than a year after the trade — Buium is struggling to make an impact, and he’s losing responsibilities.
Zeev Buium Low Point
The Canucks are taking away roles from Buium.
At even strength, he has been dropped to Vancouver’s third defensive pairing.
And on the power play, Buium has been taken off his role altogether.
D Zeev Buium has been dropped to the #Canucks third pairing with Schenn and removed from either PP unit.
https://t.co/8e6DsBpS5S
— NHL Rosters (@NHL_Rosters) October 13, 2026
Replies to that post have two thoughts. One wrote, “Buium is a bust.” The other wrote, “Good reset… Fans stop leaning on the panic button.”
It certainly is early, and it was always going to be a lot of scrutiny on Buium given the circumstances by which he arrived in Vancouver in the first place.
It wasn’t his choice to be traded for Hughes. It’ll just be up to Buium how he responds to the adversity he’s facing now.
Zeev Buium Stats
Buium is still just 20 years old. He was just a first-round pick, No. 12 overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Wild.
He admittedly has started this season slow. He has just one assist in seven games and is a minus-4.
Buium also didn’t light it up in 45 games with the Canucks at the end of last season — scoring three goals with nine assists while being minus-24.
The Canucks have still been trying to use Buium — he played 21:58 in their loss on Sunday to the New York Rangers, a 6-2 defeat.
But it appears in their latest arrangements visible to media, Buium dropped down the depth chart.
It’s likely only a temporary move, one designed to spark his game while putting a bit less pressure on himself.
Vancouver sure will be hoping he figures it out. If Buium doesn’t pan out, the retrospective view of the Hughes trade will feel even worse.
Zeev Buium Hits New Low With Canucks