Which is really dumb, especially in today's game where obstruction is called far more than it was in 70's - early 2000's. There are all sorts of ways to defend, but one of the key ones is to keep your body in between the man you are covering and the net. Also, going for the big punishing hits(which are now called more than ever, with new head contact rules) can take you out of position, and a worse defender, nvm the wear and tear on your body.I watched the vast majority of Keith's NHL career.
The way Buium plays in his zone & the neutral zone certainly draws some comparison to early prime (2008-2011) Keith in terms of style. Also, so does how the Pioneers play hockey, one goes with the other. But Buium has that thing where he executes his efficient defensive moves such that he already knows where he's moving the puck before he gets it on his stick. He does it so well it looks casual.
I remember some Blackhawks fans, even in 2010, thinking Keith wasn't that good in his own zone because he didn't just pin guys to the wall on every play.
To this day there's still people who think being "great defensively" means just that...getting physical every shift.
One of the best defenders ever was prime Ryan Suter. He'd just angle someone off into the boards, take the puck, move it.... job done. No big kaboom, just erased the offensive play. Hjalmarsson was another in recent memory. Lidstrom was similar. No drama, just killed off offensive plays.
I don't think that Buium has anything like those sorts of defensive instincts, but seems to have good feet and ok size and strength once he matures. Those attributes will help him to be at least a decent defender, which is good enough if he is above average offensively.
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