Just as the
Vancouver Canucks are getting healthy again, the injury bug strikes again.
Defenceman Zeev Buium was struck in the face with a puck in the first period of Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 20-year-old would miss the rest of the period but returned with a bubble cage for the remainder of the game. It was a positive sign that the defenceman was able to finish the contest. But according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the injury may cause Buium to miss time.
“Best case scenario is, I think, a week, maybe two weeks,” Dreger said on his Monday hit on Sekeres & Price. “But that’s upon further review. Getting through all the medical work to see what’s going on there. That was a scary injury. There’s still some evaluating, but I think minimally, you’re thinking 10 days to two weeks.”
Buium was acquired by the Canucks in the massive Quinn Hughes trade from the Minnesota Wild. Since joining the Canucks, Buium has two goals and four assists for six points (four power play points) with a minus-eight rating in 20 games, while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. On the season, Buium’s totals are up to five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 51 games.
After making a strong first impression in a Canucks uniform, picking up a secondary assist and scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, Buium has cooled down. A handful of giveaways resulted in Head Coach Adam Foote making him a healthy scratch in mid-January against the Montreal Canadiens. In the seven games following his one-game reset, Buium has one goal and one assist for two points, with a minus-one rating.
You can watch Dreger’s full clip on Sekeres & Price below:
