Who had the best single-season expected +/- in Vegas Golden Knights history?

Before we get started on another Vegas Golden Knights piece, let's go over what expected +/- is. According to Hockey Reference, it constitutes where a player's shots and their opponent's shots came from based on even-strength situations. It considers the quality of shots but doesn't account for those that missed the net. It's an intriguing statistic that highlights how teams like the Vegas Golden Knights attack the opposition.

Plenty of names come to mind for the Golden Knights in this regard. Names like Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, and the king of Vegas franchise records himself, Jonathan Marchessault, have done this perfectly. They've created countless scoring opportunities and have shot the puck in the best spots, making them second to none for the team.

Therefore, these players should lead the team in this statistic. These players have mastered the art of offense and have done it impressively, whether it's even strength or on the power play. Thus, their opponents have been left saying this every time they're on the ice:

So who had the best single-season performance in this regard? Who stood out from the competition and took the best shots for the team? The following leader is underrated as an offensive player, running the attack well. Here's who had the best single-season expected +/- in Golden Knights history.

Shea Theodore had the best single-season expected +/- in Vegas Golden Knights history

One would think that Jonathan Marchessault has the best expected +/- in Vegas Golden Knights history. After all, he holds nearly every other franchise record. However, that's not the case for the "Original Misfit" here. Instead, one of his fellow "Misfits" does hold the record himself, achieving this in 2019-20. Who is the mysterious record-holder?

That would be Shea Theodore, who achieved an expected +/- of 27.7 that season. He scored 13 goals and 33 assists that year, with 15 assists on the power play. The defenseman also tacked on a short-handed goal, capping off an impressive campaign with the Golden Knights. But it wasn't easy for Theodore.

Max Pacioretty was a close second at 27.3 in that same season, followed by Mark Stone with 24.5. After that, the competition becomes distant, with Jonathon Merrill achieving a statline of 16.8, followed by Paul Stastny with 16.4. Jonathan Marchessault came close behind for sixth place with 16.3, while Nick Holden was seventh with 16.1. Rounding out the top ten is Shea Theodore with two additional campaigns (14.8 in 2018-19 and 13.6 in 2020-21), with Chandler Stephenson taking tenth place at 13.4 (2019-20).

Sadly, William Karlsson isn't on this list despite a franchise-record 43 goals in 2017-18. Regardless, it shows the power of the "Original Misfits," making them one of the essential groups in Vegas Golden Knights history. That's especially true with Theodore, who's shown a knack for finding the perfect shot.