Vegas Golden Knights Need More Production From Shea Theodore

The Vegas Golden Knights aren’t getting much offense from their top offensive weapon on the back end.

Some things in the NHL just don’t surprise me anymore, but when it comes to the Vegas Golden Knights, color me shocked. This team has been the exact opposite of what I predicted them to be at the beginning of the season. A lot of that has to do with the expansion team’s defense.

I didn’t think this defensive core is as bad as everyone thought they were but even I didn’t think they would look this good. Let’s give a quick rundown on the defensemen of the Golden Knights.

Nate Schmidt averages over 22 minutes a night and is the most trustworthy defenseman on the roster. Luca Sbisa is shutting down the opposition’s best forwards on a consistent basis. Deryk Engelland has become a fan favorite and has chipped in a bit more offense this year than past years.

Brayden McNabb is playing to his expectations while also becoming one of the steadiest defensemen on the team. Colin Miller is stepping up as a top power play weapon with his heavy shot and his improved passing game. But Shea Theodore has been underwhelming thus far, why is that?

Theodore was acquired in the June expansion draft from the Anaheim Ducks with Clayton Stoner. The Langley, British Columbia native only has one goal, and four assists through 14 games played this season. However, in the AHL, he recorded five goals and six assists through eight games which makes me think somethings wrong.

Vegas Head Coach Gerard Gallant paired Theodore with Engelland for most of the season, and he’s been decent for the most part. Last night, though, Theodore ran into some trouble as he turned the puck over behind his net. That giveaway resulted in a Predators go-ahead goal late in the third period. The 22-year-old is going to have some lapses just like any other young up incoming defenseman.

But the shocking part to me is Gallant throwing him right back out there for his next two shifts. Instead of benching him to degrade his confidence, he used him, and he played to his strengths. And quite frankly, those were two of his best shifts of the game.

Obviously, patience is the key moving forward with a player like Theodore. He’s hitting that rookie wall right now, but it’s important to stick with him because he’s the most dynamic player on the Golden Knights blue line. His offensive zone entries and strong tape to tape passes are a big key to this team’s long-term success.

There’s a reason why he’s a former first-round pick and comes with great potential. His work in the defensive zone needs improvement, but he is a gift offensively. He can quarterback a power play, he’s a great skater and loves to take gambles in making big plays.

Sometimes those gambles don’t always go according to plan though. The former 26th overall pick has given up two on one rushes before in his time with Anaheim, but he’s since cleaned up that part of his game. He’s got a pretty good size frame at 6’2 and 195 lbs, although he doesn’t use his size often.

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All in all, Shea Theodore should be just fine moving forward as he’s only going to get better with every shift. I expect him to bust out of his slump in the second half and claims a significant role down the stretch. If that were to happen, it would be a big boost overall to the Vegas Golden Knights.

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