Shea Theodore
In all likelihood, Shea Theodore is the future of the blue line for the Vegas Golden Knights. This kid has shown flashes of greatness and mental errors as well. But that’s the life of an up and coming NHL defensemen at 22-years old.
When Knights fans found out their team acquired Theodore in a trade at the expansion draft in June, they were ecstatic and rightfully so. He moves the puck better than any other Knights defenseman and shows a ton of speed on the back end. The Langley, British Columbia native recorded four goals, nine assists and 13 points in 26 games played.
Pairing with veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland was one of the best moves Gerard Gallant made during the season. As each game passes, Theodore’s ice time increases and that means Gallant is trusting the 22-year old more and more. One concern I may have with him going forward is clearing pucks as that’s not one of his strongest suits yet.
Overall, Theodore is a superb talent, and the Knights are lucky to have him. We all know about his offensive ability, so I wouldn’t mind if he took the entire second half of the year to develop his defensive skills. But so far so good for the young stud blueliner.
Grade: B