The Minnesota Wild anticipate top prospect Zeev Buium will sign an entry-level contract to join the club any day now - just in time to suit up for the playoffs.
"He will play," general manager Bill Guerin said of Buium's postseason availability, per The Athletic's Joe Smith. "These kids are different, man. They're ready for this stuff."
Buium's sophomore season at the University of Denver ended Thursday after a double overtime loss to Western Michigan in the Frozen Four semifinals. The 19-year-old had a standout campaign in which he recorded 48 points in 41 games while also helping the United States to its second consecutive world junior gold medal.
He was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player.
The Wild have three regular-season contests remaining and enter Friday's slate holding the top wild-card seed in the Western Conference. They have the same amount of points as the St. Louis Blues but have one game in hand.
Minnesota drafted Buium 12th overall in 2024.
