Wild sign defenseman Zeev Buium to three-year contract that starts immediately

The Wild’s top prospect is now a pro.

Zeev Buium signed a three-year, entry-level contract that begins immediately, and the defenseman is expected to make his NHL debut in the Wild’s regular-season finale Tuesday vs. Anaheim at Xcel Energy Center that could decide their playoff fate.

He will wear No. 8. Another detail: His surname is pronounced “BOO-yum.”

Buium, 19, exits college after the University of Denver’s bid for back-to-back NCAA Division I titles fell short, the Pioneers losing to eventual champion Western Michigan in double overtime Thursday at the Frozen Four in St. Louis.

On Friday, Buium was edged by Michigan State’s Isaac Howard for the Hobey Baker Award, but the 6-foot, 186-pound San Diego native still joins the Wild with an impressive track record.

A two-time All-American, Buium was crowned the NCHC Player of the Year and repeated as the Offensive Defenseman of the Year after leading all NCAA defensemen in scoring this season with 48 points and finishing second among all skaters with 35 assists.

He netted a career-high 13 goals, factored into Denver’s offense in 30 of the 41 games he played and averaged 27 minutes, 3 seconds of ice time. Last year, he posted the first 50-point season by a freshman defenseman in the country in decades and the first by a Denver freshman since 1983-84; Buium, a left shot, had a team-high 39 assists as the second-youngest player in college hockey.

At the NHL draft last summer, the Wild traded up one spot to pick Buium 12th overall.

His experience also includes the international stage, where he won consecutive gold medals with Team USA at the world junior championship. He assisted on the game-tying and game-winning goals in the United States’ overtime victory over Finland in the final while serving as an alternate captain.

Buium’s contract, which includes a $97,500 signing bonus and a $25,000 bonus if he plays five games this season, continues an exodus from college hockey to the NHL, with six former Gophers among the recent signees, and Buium’s arrival comes at a key time for the Wild.

The Wild have yet to clinch a playoff spot; they could have Sunday night had Calgary lost, but the Flames beat San Jose at home 5-2. The Wild can advance by picking up a point from an overtime or shootout loss in their last regular-season game.

They are currently one point ahead of St. Louis for the first wild card in the Western Conference.

The first wild-card seed will face off against Pacific Division winner Vegas, while the second and final playoff berth in the West will take on Central Division leader Winnipeg. The regular season wraps up Thursday, and the Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to start Saturday.

Buium also gives the Wild another option at a position that has been rocked by injuries lately.

Jake Middleton hasn’t played since getting boarded April 4 against the Islanders, missing four games. Captain Jared Spurgeon took a puck to the throat in the 4-2 loss to the Flames on Friday and left early before sitting out Saturday vs. the Canucks. Call-up Cameron Crotty stepped into the lineup for only his second NHL game but played sparingly even while the Wild were down to five defensemen in the second period; Declan Chisholm was helped off the ice after getting crushed into the boards by Vancouver’s Marcus Pettersson.

Chisholm returned for the third period, when the Wild overcame a two-goal deficit on goals from Brock Faber and Marcus Foligno before Mats Zuccarello polished off the 3-2 comeback in overtime.

Faber ended up logging a career-high 33:28; only one player in the NHL has played more minutes in a game this season, and that’s Columbus’ Zach Werenski at 33:44.

Crotty was returned to the minors to give the Wild enough salary-cap space to add Buium, who will have a chance to get acquainted with his new teammates when they practice Monday.