The Minnesota Wild will travel to Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round on Sunday night. Minnesota will look to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Wild will get a boost from one of their promising young players.

Zeev Buium will make his NHL debut on Sunday against the Golden Knights according to NHL.com's Shawn P. Roarke.

The Wild selected Buium with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Buium signed his entry-level contract on April 13th following his college team's loss in the NCAA national semifinal.

Now he will jump into the big leagues and get his first taste of playoff hockey.

Buium has practiced several times over the past week, including a Saturday practice that sealed the deal for Minnesota's coaching staff.

“I’m very, very excited,” Buium said after the 45-minute practice. “I’m just really thankful for the opportunity. I mean, these guys have built toward this the entire season, so, I just want to go out there and do whatever I can help.”

Zeeb Buium earned the trust of the Wild's coaching staff ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

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Wild head coach John Hynes believes that the 19-year-old defenseman can help his team in their playoff series against the Golden Knights.

“There's a reason why he's here,” Hynes said. “You know, he has played some big moments, obviously you know, not in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and that environment, but I think, when you look, it's a good opportunity for him. He's got some really good attributes; he's a smart player and he's competitive. He's got some good elements to his game.”

Hynes admitted that there is some risk in counting on Buium to perform right away during the playoffs. However, he feels that it could ultimately benefit the Wild.

“I think you always are trying to put your team in the best position to win and to give ourselves an opportunity to be able to win a series,” Hynes said. “We think this timing is the right thing for our team.”

It will be exciting to see how Buium performs in his NHL debut on Sunday night.