Vegas Golden Knights: Shea Theodore Can Be a Franchise Defenseman

Shea Theodore hasn’t played a game in a Knights sweater yet, but he’s already an impact player for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Shea Theodore’s road to making the Vegas Golden Knights NHL roster has certainly been an interesting one. Nonetheless, he may be the expansion draft selection that makes or breaks the new franchise.

With the expansion draft looming, Knights General Manager George McPhee had options to weigh. Scouring each teams’ exposed list of players, he was trying to find the pieces of the puzzle for the NHL’s 31st team.

Loaded to the brim with talented, young defenseman, the Anaheim Ducks were in a lose-lose gamble with Vegas. The team had multiple NMCs on the roster. Therefore, young and experienced NHL blueliners such as Sami Vatanen and Josh Manson were left vulnerable to McPhee’s prying eyes. Not many expansion teams have the chance to draft a possible cornerstone defenseman right out the gate, but, as they say, the house always wins in Vegas.

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General Manager Bob Murray had to sacrifice Theodore in order to persuade McPhee to leave their coveted pieces alone. Some will argue that Vegas ran off with the best defense prospect in Anaheim’s system. Others will argue it was smart of Anaheim to keep the established NHLers over a highly rated prospect. Theodore has been called up by Vegas, and the time has come for him to give the hockey world an answer.

Theodore has a track record of success everywhere he goes.

Drafted 26th overall in the 2013 draft, expectations were high for the young defenseman. Theodore hasn’t given us any reasons to doubt him yet. The young rearguard amassed an impressive 58 goals, 154 assists, and 212 points in 257 games in the WHL as a junior. Metrics like these put many high end forwards prospects to shame.

What stands out about Theodore is how he seemingly transitions his skills to higher levels of play. In his first AHL stint with the Norfolk Admirals, he put up 4 goals and 7 assists in nine games, as a 19-year-old.

In his first full season as a pro in the AHL, he put up nine goals, 28 assists, and 37 points in 50 games with the San Diego Gulls. All in all, the blue-chip prospect has logged an astounding 79 points in 97 AHL games. That’s crazy when you factor in that he is a defenseman, and was only around 19 to 22 at the time.

Theodore’s game has adjusted well at the NHL level.

Bouncing in and out of a deep Ducks’ lineup, Theodore recorded a respectable 17 points in 53 games played. Not too shabby for a youngster receiving bottom pairing minutes. But now the script is different. The Vegas blueline is nowhere near as crowded or deep as in Anaheim. There shouldn’t be anyone standing in the way of top pairing minutes and adequate powerplay time. Theodore will finally have the opportunity to perform without restrictions.

Theodore brings an appealing mix of speed, hockey IQ, and skill. An offensive-minded defenseman that can also be responsible in his own zone. Theodore can make that first crisp breakout pass, and he can push the puck up ice himself. His skating is fluid, dynamic, and smooth. Theodore should provide a nice boost to an already speedy 8-2 Vegas team.

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Fans across the league have been waiting for this call up to happen, and their thirst shall soon be quenched. Theodore was a late scratch last night against the Islanders but figures to crack the lineup tonight at Madison Square Garden. A truly electric player, he is only just scratching the surface of his potential. Will he be a franchise player?

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