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Should Vancouver Canucks Fans Be Concerned With The Play Of Zeev Buium?

Vancouver Canucks rookie defenseman Zeev Buium has drawn early scrutiny after a slow start to the 2026-27 season, with just one point in eight games and a recent demotion to the third defensive pairing. While his offensive contributions remain limited, his defensive zone play has raised concerns, particularly his tendency to give up the puck—already totaling 12 turnovers this season.

Buium has also struggled to disrupt plays along the wall or assert himself in front of the net, contributing to Vancouver’s difficulties clearing the zone under head coach Manny Malhotra’s system. His defensive metrics paint a mixed picture: at even strength, he’s outshot 50-to-82 and facing a higher volume of high-danger chances against (36 compared to 23 for), with a Corsi-for percentage under 42% and an expected-goals-for rate of just 38.04%.

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