Prospect Info: 12th Overall 2024 Draft, LHD Zeev Buium

[Dr Jan Itor]

We all know they're going to do Brodin/Faber, Middleton/Spurgeon, Buium/Bogosian, with Buium getting PP time, for Buium's rookie year.

And it it's probably not the worst spot to start a 19.5 year old defenseman anyway.

 

[AKL]

We all know they're going to do Brodin/Faber, Middleton/Spurgeon, Buium/Bogosian, with Buium getting PP time, for Buium's rookie year.

And it it's probably not the worst spot to start a 19.5 year old defenseman anyway.

I don't see any reason why this shouldn't be exactly what they do until Buium forces them to move him up

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

We all know they're going to do Brodin/Faber, Middleton/Spurgeon, Buium/Bogosian, with Buium getting PP time, for Buium's rookie year.

And it it's probably not the worst spot to start a 19.5 year old defenseman anyway.

Pretty much this, though I think Buium also plays the right side, so there are a whole lot of options to ease him into the lineup when that time comes.

 

[Digitalbooya]

We all know they're going to do Brodin/Faber, Middleton/Spurgeon, Buium/Bogosian, with Buium getting PP time, for Buium's rookie year.

And it it's probably not the worst spot to start a 19.5 year old defenseman anyway.

It shouldn’t take long for Buium to surpass Middleton. In the same way that it wouldn’t have taken Faber long to surpass Bogosian (if he was on the team at that time).

We could rock Middleton-Faber, Buium-Brodin. Gives Buium a safety blanket and Middleton/Faber have already played together and looked alright.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

It shouldn’t take long for Buium to surpass Middleton. In the same way that it wouldn’t have taken Faber long to surpass Bogosian (if he was on the team at that time).

We could rock Middleton-Faber, Buium-Brodin. Gives Buium a safety blanket and Middleton/Faber have already played together and looked alright.

Even if he does surpass him, all you really have to do is squeeze the Middleton/Spurgeon and Buium/Bogosian pairs closer together in minutes. Don't really have to change anything personnel-wise that first year.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Even if he does surpass him, all you really have to do is squeeze the Middleton/Spurgeon and Buium/Bogosian pairs closer together in minutes. Don't really have to change anything personnel-wise that first year.

I’m not entirely sure playing Bogosian more minutes is ideal. He’s been pretty injury prone aside from last year.

Speaking of personnel for this year, what did you do with Chisholm? I don’t think we should just get rid of him or press box him. He was really solid on the third pair and has high offensive upside (based on his output from every other level).

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I’m not entirely sure playing Bogosian more minutes is ideal. He’s been pretty injury prone aside from last year.

Speaking of personnel for this year, what did you do with Chisholm? I don’t think we should just get rid of him or press box him. He was really solid on the third pair and has high offensive upside (based on his output from every other level).

Hoped he had a decent year and then explore options.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Hoped he had a decent year and then explore options.

There is basically only one option available with Brodin-Buium-Middleton all locked in. Unfortunate.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

There is basically only one option available with Brodin-Buium-Middleton all locked in. Unfortunate.

I don't want to get ahead of anything on Chisholm. He had 3 ES points in 29 games; offensively-challenged Middleton had 24.

Also not closing the door on anything, since it was a mid-year change and he has limited NHL time to make any determination off of.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I don't want to get ahead of anything on Chisholm. He had 3 ES points in 29 games; offensively-challenged Middleton had 24.

Also not closing the door on anything, since it was a mid-year change and he has limited NHL time to make any determination off of.

Don’t think we should be praising Middleton for his point totals. He sacrificed defense for offense constantly.

 

[BagHead]

Don’t think we should be praising Middleton for his point totals. He sacrificed defense for offense constantly.

I don't think that was praise.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I don't think that was praise.

It’s for sure leaving out context.

 

[BagHead]

It’s for sure leaving out context.

It is, but his point isn't wrong. Chisholm's play, while better than Merrill's, wasn't good enough to warrant worrying about locking him up beyond this year. This will be his first full year, and if he's good, then you worry about locking him up for more years and maybe trading someone in the off-season.

I think his play was a net positive, but only slightly so.

 

[57special]

Dumba isn't good.

That's overrating him.

 

[Digitalbooya]

It is, but his point isn't wrong. Chisholm's play, while better than Merrill's, wasn't good enough to warrant worrying about locking him up beyond this year. This will be his first full year, and if he's good, then you worry about locking him up for more years and maybe trading someone in the off-season.

I think his play was a net positive, but only slightly so.

I agree with that, but I think to some level that also applies to Middleton. Chisholm can improve. Middleton is what he is. It’s the same argument as Rossi vs Hartman in the other thread, but a tier lower in terms of quality of play.

Not sure if Middleton has a NTC, but I would like to think that Buium makes the team and Brodin isn’t going anywhere. Where is the room for all these young dmen we have?

 

[BagHead]

I agree with that, but I think to some level that also applies to Middleton. Chisholm can improve. Middleton is what he is. It’s the same argument as Rossi vs Hartman in the other thread, but a tier lower in terms of quality of play.

Not sure if Middleton has a NTC, but I would like to think that Buium makes the team and Brodin isn’t going anywhere. Where is the room for all these young dmen we have?

That's why I went from being neutral on the idea of re-signing Middleton to against it when Buium got drafted. By the time the new contract begins, Buium should be on the team if all goes well. But the other defensemen in the system? Maybe one or two of them pan out, someday.

 

[AKL]

That's why I went from being neutral on the idea of re-signing Middleton to against it when Buium got drafted. By the time the new contract begins, Buium should be on the team if all goes well. But the other defensemen in the system? Maybe one or two of them pan out, someday.

I like the idea of bringing him back, because he's a + asset on the bottom pair (and pre-Buium, we didn't have anything better), I just don't like the contract that was given. Should have been 2-3 years, 3-3.5M per year, and no 15 team NTC. Just too much of everything, which is a concerning trend with contracts at this point.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I’d be interested to know what % of 3+ year contracts come with zero trade protections nowadays.

 

[AKL]

I’d be interested to know what % of 3+ year contracts come with zero trade protections nowadays.

36%

 

[BagHead]

I like the idea of bringing him back, because he's a + asset on the bottom pair (and pre-Buium, we didn't have anything better), I just don't like the contract that was given. Should have been 2-3 years, 3-3.5M per year, and no 15 team NTC. Just too much of everything, which is a concerning trend with contracts at this point.

Yeah, I'd be more than fine with bringing him back as a 3rd pairing guy, but I'm not more than fine with paying our 3rd pairing guys 4+ million. The real sticking point I have with Guerin is simply that he overpays bottom of the lineup talent, while often giving them trade protection.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

36%

Seems high.

 

[AKL]

Seems high.

Maybe, but it's somewhere between that and 26%

Of course, GM's like Bill Guerin skew that number downwards from what it should be too.

Did you know the only skaters on Florida's roster next year with trade protection are Barkov, Tkachuk, Reinhart, Ekblad and Forsling? The Wild have 10 including such notable players as Marcus Johansson, Freddie Gaudreau, Marcus Foligno, and now Jake Middleton. That's on top of 7 skaters who aren't even eligible. The only eligible players that don't have them are Trenin, Bogosian and Merrill. Florida would never.

 

[P10p]

Maybe, but it's somewhere between that and 26%

Of course, GM's like Bill Guerin skew that number downwards from what it should be too.

Did you know the only skaters on Florida's roster next year with trade protection are Barkov, Tkachuk, Reinhart, Ekblad and Forsling? The Wild have 10 including such notable players as Marcus Johansson, Freddie Gaudreau, Marcus Foligno, and now Jake Middleton. That's on top of 7 skaters who aren't even eligible. The only eligible players that don't have them are Trenin, Bogosian and Merrill. Florida would never.

Florida has the tax loophole. That could easily explain the discrepancy.

 

[BagHead]

Florida has the tax loophole. That could easily explain the discrepancy.

It's really just a math problem. Does the trade protection cost less than the difference in taxes at a place you could be traded to? Better get that trade protection. Otherwise, you'd be better off signing for maximum dollars and just hoping not to get traded.

Given the lack of them in Florida, I would wager that Zito puts a high premium on trade protection.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Florida has the tax loophole. That could easily explain the discrepancy.

It’s not a loophole. People just like to complain.