NHL Injury Update: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium out 1–2 Weeks with facial fracture

The Vancouver Canucks may face a two-week absence from their young defenceman Zeev Buium because he sustained a facial fracture during the team's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Head coach Adam Foote confirmed on Tuesday that Zeev Buium will slideline until the NHL Olympic break ends because of his injury.

The first period of the 3-2 loss ended, while Buium suffered a facial injury from a puck. He needed to exit the match after getting injured, yet he came back to play through the injury with a bubble cage and finished the game, which appeared to be a good outcome at that time. Medical tests detected a fracture, which doctors will evaluate to determine whether surgery is required.

How long will Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium be out?

Foote states that the team expects Buium to come back without needing surgery, while he estimates that Buium will take one to two weeks for his recovery process. TSN reporter Darren Dreger confirmed the same prediction, which shows Buium will need 10 days for his best recovery, but officials are continuing to observe his progress.
Buium has established himself as a consistent player on Vancouver's defensive unit since his December trade from the Minnesota Wild, which included Quinn Hughes as part of the deal. The left-shot defenceman has played substantial minutes during his games this season because he has achieved more than 20 minutes of playing time in each match while scoring five goals and collecting 20 points throughout 51 games.
The Vancouver Canucks currently have several players missing from their roster, including defenceman Derek Forbort, goaltender Thatcher Demko, and forwards Brock Boeser and Marco Rossi.

Bryan Rust, meanwhile, stays in concussion protocol after he sustained a head injury from Penguins forward Bryan Rust during the last moments of the Sunday game. Foote reported that the winger has improved, but the team has not established a schedule for his comeback.

The Canucks face mounting difficulties because Buium sustained an injury, which creates new problems for the team during their challenging season. The Vancouver team must depend on its backup players and defensive system because multiple important players are currently unavailable. Buium can return to the team after the Olympic break if he does not need surgery, which would help the team's blue line deficit.



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