Jonathan Marchessault had the assists record before last season. He stood at 225 during his Vegas Golden Knights career, giving him a respectable lead. However, it wasn't comfortable, especially with how close Shea Theodore was.
Lo and behold, he put up 50 assists and established himself in the all-time record's top spot with 273. Mind you, he has a seven-year contract extension that kicks in this season. This guy will be here for a little while.
With a big 2024-25, fans are wondering how high he'll go. Sticking around for seven seasons means he'll have a monopoly on the record, right?
Well, it's not as easy as it seems. Certainly, many factors come into play with Theodore's career. Remember that Theodore hasn't had the cleanest record regarding injuries. Last season is a good example, where he dealt with a wrist injury.
Of course, that isn't the only thing that could affect his status atop the leaderboard. Other fans (including his own teammates!) could determine how he has that record (and whether he holds onto said record). Let's look at where Theodore stands and what could get in his way.
Which factors could determine how far Shea Theodore goes with the Vegas Golden Knights all-time assists record?
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind with the Original Misfit is his health. He's had a history of missing time with various injuries that prevented him from obtaining more assists.
Last season, it was the wrist injury sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The season before, it was an upper-body injury. In 2021-22? You guessed it. Upper-body injury.
Staying healthy is key to running away with the all-time assists record. If he can stay on the ice for more than 60 games each season, Theodore should have no problem racking up assists and running away with the record.
But that's not the only factor in play. Theodore's teammates will be a determining factor. If (and when) Jack Eichel gets his contract extension, he could jump in the race for the most all-time assists with the Golden Knights. Currently, he sits at seventh all-time with 153. However, a season like 2024-25, where he notches 66 assists, will help him get much closer to the Misfit's record.
That also applies to Mitch Marner, who had 75 assists with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He might be more of an outside shot than Eichel regarding the record. However, that doesn't mean he should be discounted from consideration.
How far can Theodore go with the Golden Knights' all-time assists record?
Let's say for argument's sake that Theodore duplicates his 2024-25 campaign for seven seasons. He averages 50 assists per season, adding 350 to his total. That would bring him to 623.
That would be a tough number to surpass, even for Golden Knights superstars like Eichel and Marner. Considering they must stay healthy and maintain their numbers as they age, it makes life even more complicated.
However, the same can also be said for Theodore, who doesn't have the cleanest health record. Therefore, you're likely looking at 35 assists per season, which would bring that total to 518 in a perfect world.
That's still a tough number to break for most players. But it makes it easier for superstars like Eichel and Marner to break. Looking at Marner, he could break that in his seventh season if he maintained a scoring pace of 75 assists per season.
As for Eichel? If he re-signed, he would break that if he stuck around for eight seasons. That's not a bad mark to obtain. However, it's tough to get when you consider Eichel's injury history isn't stellar itself. That makes life easier for the Original Misfit to cling to that all-time assists record.