The Detroit Red Wings will approach yet another crossroads with a prospect, much like they did with Sebastian Cossa and are currently working through with William Wallinder.
Once the most sound position within the Red Wings depth chart, the lefthand side of defense now is about as shallow as any position. After Eemil Viro left for Europe and Wallinder, Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson all graduated to the NHL, just one left defensive prospect remains.
From the first day I watched Shai Buium skate, he’s intrigued me. While a lot has changed since then, it's important to keep tabs on one of the last remaining left-handed defensive prospects in the pipeline.
What the future holds for Shai Buium
Born March 26, 2003, in the hockey hotbed of San Diego, California, Buium is about as unique as they come in the hockey owrld.
Although his younger brother, Zeev Buium, is already in the NHL as a Vancouver Canucks defenseman, the older Buium brother is developing at his own pace.
The Red Wings drafted Buium, 6’3” and 220 lbs, in the second round at 36th overall.
“His hands and feet work independently, each transmitting different information to opponents,"reads the EliteProspects 2021 NHL Draft Guide. "With changes of pace, fake shots and constant eye deception, [Buium] turns exits into inside-lane entries, creates passing lanes and hits teammates through heavy pressure. Give-and-goes with a space-filling mentality allows him to create scoring chances for himself or his teammates.”
Buium played three seasons with the University of Denver Pioneers, recording 14 goals and 61 assists for a total of 75 total points in 120 games in his collegiate career. He finished with 75 penalty minutes and a +61 rating.
In his time with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Buium has played in 111 games, scored five times, and assisted on 38 goals for a total of 43 points. Additionally, he's recorded 33 penalty minutes and is a +1 rating overall. In the playoffs two seasons ago, Buium played in three games and finished with a -3 rating.
Injuries hampered Buium's career
Throughout his tenure with the Griffins, Buium has been injured a few times, impacting his ability to make a difference in the AHL. Last season, he played just 36 games.
With the rest of the defensemen moved out, Buium is getting a real chance on the top pair for Grand Rapids, getting time on both the power play and penalty kill in addition to the heavier minutes at five-on-five.
So far, it seems like he has found his groove. In just his seven games, he's recorded four assists with only two penalty minutes and a +1 rating.
There are times when his ability to read plays still faces a steep learning curve and times where he plays a bit too much poke-and-hope hockey for my liking. But, when he's dialed in, Buium is a quick-thinking defensemen with plenty of high-IQ plays.
As Buium gains even more confidence and settles into his new role, it will be fun to this diamond in the rough come into his own. He's a bit of a Jack of All Trades when it comes to defense.
Buium's brotherly bond
The biggest question surrounding Buium is his brother. With all the talk of the Hughes brothers (Quinn, Jack, and Luke) playing for the same team, it’s easy to wonder about the Buium brothers.
That said, the Buium brothers seem to be a bit more independent. Neither one is clamoring to play with the other and both seem happy to continue on their own paths as they seek success at the highest level of hockey.
For the Detroit Red Wings’ Buium, the sky is the limit as the he continues to develop. In an ideal world, Buium tops out as a middle-pair defensemen who can play effectively in all situations. Although his path might be longer - and more winding - it might wind up helping Buium grow into an impressive player in his own right.
Add us as a preferred source on Google