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Vegas Golden Knights: 5 players who should be considered for Captain

By Andrew Steele-Davis

CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 12: Deryk Engelland #5 of the Vegas Golden Knights talks with teammates Shea Theodore #27 and Paul Stastny #26 in the first period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on January 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 12: Deryk Engelland #5 of the Vegas Golden Knights talks with teammates Shea Theodore #27 and Paul Stastny #26 in the first period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on January 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 14: Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights returns to the locker room after warm-ups prior to Game Three of the Western Conference First Round against the San Jose Sharks during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on April 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 14: Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights returns to the locker room after warm-ups prior to Game Three of the Western Conference First Round against the San Jose Sharks during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on April 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Shea Theodore – The Stud Blueliner

Scott Stevens, Denis Potvin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Zdeno Chara. What do those players and Shea Theodore all have in common?

Not a lot at the moment is the honest truth given that Stevens, Potvin and Lidstrom are all Hall of Famers while Chara will almost certainly follow in their footsteps once he has eventually hung up his skates. All four belong in the upper echelon of the greatest defensemen to have ever played the game and Stevens and Lidstrom in particular wouldn’t look out of place on the Mount Rushmore of NHL blueliners. They also all have at least one Stanley Cup on their resume.

Theodore, of course, is nowhere near that level yet and it is hard to say at this stage whether or not he will reach the levels of the greats mentioned above. But, what he could have in common with that foursome one day is the opportunity to wear the famous “C” on his chest.

This may be slightly out of left-field given his age but, at 23-years-old, Theodore is already developing nicely into a leader both on and off the ice for the Golden Knights. He achieved career-highs in games (79), goals (12), assists (25) and points (37) last year, while logging an average of 20:06 minutes of ice time per night.

He can play on the power play and he’s also a stud in the defensive zone as shown by his 91 blocked shots, 27 hits and 82 takeaways in 2018-19. There are still wrinkles and kinks in his game that need ironing out, but he’s still a few years away from reaching his prime and playing at the peak of his powers so he has time on his side when it comes to becoming the finished product.

LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 06: Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after defeating the Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena on March 6, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 06: Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after defeating the Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena on March 6, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /

That in itself is exciting for the Golden Knights who could have an elite NHL blueliner on their roster for the foreseeable future with Theodore locked down until 2025 with an average annual value of $5,200,000, which could prove to be an absolute bargain if he continues on his upwards trend.

Theodore is arguably the best blueliner Vegas has in their possession and he will only get better the older he gets. Giving Theodore the “C” would give the left shot more responsibility and, as already shown throughout his career, he thrives when the pressure is really on.

There is a lengthy list of successful and prestigious defensemen that have worn the “C” on their chest woven into the rich tapestry of the NHL, and there is no reason to suggest why Theodore couldn’t join that group one day given the current path he’s on.

Shea Theodore is young, he’s still got his best years of hockey ahead of him, he has a high ceiling in terms of his potential, he’s respected in the locker room and he’s under control until the summer of 2025, which should put the blueliner firmly in the conversation of who should be the first-ever Captain in franchise history for the Golden Knights.

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