Vegas Golden Knights: Is Shea Theodore Ready to be the Man?

Shea Theodore has proven he can score on offense for the Vegas Golden Knights, and with Nate Schmidt now in Vancouver, someone needs to step up to the plate.

Shea Theodore is a rising star for the Vegas Golden Knights but he will be leaned on even more in 2020-21 offensively.

Yes, Alex Pietrangelo signed a seven-year, $61.6 million extension, and he is set to be the number one option for Vegas come opening night. However, left defense is still a big question to be answered. Brayden McNabb is currently listed as the team’s starting left-defenseman, but after scoring only nine points in 2020, Head Coach Peter DeBoer may turn to someone else.

Here’s where Shea Theodore comes into the equation.

In the past three seasons, Theodore has scored 112 points (31 G, 81 A), with 46 of those points coming from last year’s campaign. The Norris Trophy nominee also produced a +12 plus minus in 2020. In other words, when Theodore was on the ice last year, Vegas tended to score more points.

This is huge news for the Golden Knights. Their Expansion Draft gamble is finally beginning to pay off, and it is seeming that Vegas committed theft from the Anaheim Ducks.

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“He makes big plays for us offensively,” forward Mark Stone stated to the Las Vegas Sun.

When comparing Theodore to other members of the defense, it’s a no-brainer who should be the starter. Although McNabb has been playing a big role for the team since his arrival in 2017, his offensive performance have not been the best. In 2020, McNabb only had two goals and seven assists, a drop off from his four goals and 12 assists in 2019.

Alec Martinez was also not the best scorer either, racking up only two goals and six assists for eight points. Shea Theodore led the team last season in both goals and assists, with 13 and 33, respectively.

Vegas needs more defensive scoring if they want to compete for the Stanley Cup. Last season, all Vegas defensemen totaled 133 points. Comparing to other dominant teams, Vegas is behind the eight-ball.

The Tampa Bay Lightning totaled 170 points, the Boston Bruins totaled 144 points, and the Dallas Stars were just behind the Golden Knights at 128 points. If Shea Theodore is taken out of the equation from last season, Vegas would have only had 87 total points. This proves that the defense cannot produce significant offensive points without Theodore on the ice.

What would the future look like if Shea Theodore starts in 2021? In short, it looks dangerous.

If Theodore were to pair up with Pietrangelo come opening night, Vegas fans could be in for a real treat. Theodore provides the blue-line scoring the Vegas first-line defense has long needed, and Pietrangelo will provide the leadership and experience.

Theodore would also compliment the big names on offense Vegas has acquired over its three seasons of play. These include Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, Max Pacioretty, and William Karlsson. With an offensive-minded player like Theodore playing on the first line, there’s no question that the Golden Knights will be aggressive in 2021.

There is, however, one problem to this scenario. Theodore is naturally a right shot, and he is currently listed behind Pietrangelo in the depth chart. If Theodore were to start alongside Pietrangelo, he would have to make the switch to left defenseman.

This also would cause McNabb to slide back in the depth chart to second line, and it would potentially bring Zach Whitecloud or Carl Dahlstrom up to Theodore’s spot. With his current capabilities, Theodore is ready to make the switch and step up. However, the question is if Coach DeBoer is ready to adjust his lines even more.

The other option the Golden Knights have is to just keep the lines the same. With Theodore playing on the second or third lines, he boosts scoring and compliments others around him. If Vegas were to stack their defensive scoring on the first line, it is likely their other lines won’t be as productive. This is the safest play for DeBoer heading into next season, but it may not bring the best results.

Shea Theodore has proved that he needs to see the ice more and that he is a legitimate threat for scoring. If he does indeed take the ice with the first line on opening night, the Vegas Golden Knights will have one of the most aggressive starting lines in the NHL.