Zeev Buium seems on track to crack Wild’s postseason lineup

If Zeev Buium’s NHL debut is also Game 1 of a Stanley Cup playoff series, that would be on brand for the young defenseman.

In the Wild’s first practice for the postseason, Buium was on the third defensive pairing next to Zach Bogosian and quarterbacked the top power play Thursday at Tria rink.

Coach John Hynes said the team is going day by day with Buium, who only turned pro Sunday after leaving the University of Denver and signing with the Wild; Hynes indicated he will have an answer Saturday on Buium’s status ahead of the series starting Sunday against Vegas.

But known for coming up clutch at the world juniors and NCAA Frozen Four, Buium didn’t look out of place alongside the Wild.

“I’m just excited,” the 19-year-old said. “Every day I just come to the rink it’s fun to be here. This is the highest level. This is where you want to be.

“Yeah, if my name gets called upon, I’ll be ready.”

The potential to kick-start the power play is Buium’s most intriguing quality.

While using an all-forward unit, the Wild blanked on their last six power plays over their past three games. By having Buium run the point for Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello, the Wild can stay offense-focused but with the insurance of having a defenseman on the ice if the puck goes the other way.

“Put them in good spots to make plays,” Buium said of his objective. “They’re all so talented and so skilled. They can pretty much find you anywhere and get it through any guy. Just try to put myself in good spots to support them but also try to freeze guys and get them open.”

Subbing Buium in for Jon Merrill was the only change the Wild made to the lineup that suited up for the regular season-ending 3-2 overtime victory over Anaheim on Tuesday.

Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek and Boldy remained on the first line, while Marcus Johansson and Frederick Gaudreau are still with Zuccarello. Marco Rossi centered Marcus Foligno and Gustav Nyquist, and the fourth line of Yakov Trenin, Ryan Hartman and Justin Brazeau stayed together.

On defense, Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber were a pair and so were Jake Middleton and captain Jared Spurgeon.

Merrill and Declan Chisholm were the extra defensemen, with Vinnie Hinostroza the 13th forward.

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson thought of having Marc-Andre Fleury replace him during Tuesday’s regular-season finale the previous night.

“I didn’t like how the Sharks game ended,” Gustavsson said, referring to the 8-7 overtime victory April 9 that Fleury was in net for. “It wasn’t really on him. Like we won the game, but it wasn’t a good feeling. And then we didn’t win against Calgary, and then I played the Vancouver one and I started the Anaheim one.

“I was like, ‘We only need one point here. It would be such a cool story if he just goes out and [wins] there in the overtime.’ ”

After the third period, Gustavsson asked Hynes if he’d make the switch, and Hynes was on board.

But Fleury’s relief appearance wasn’t a cake walk: He made five saves, including two against the Ducks’ power play, while pulling out his signature moves.

“He was just being himself,” Gustavsson said. “Two-pad stacks. Poke-checks. It was great.”