Vegas Golden Knights fans were having fun watching their best players play for Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday. Okay, it was only Shea Theodore and Mark Stone on the ice against Sweden. Still, the superstars are representing their NHL team. The break is here and everything is good. That was until Sweden's Adrian Kempe checked the defenseman into the boards.
Suddenly, fans are panicking about his health.
"Is he hurt again? Is the injury bug attacking us again?"
One period passed without Theodore on the ice. The suspense was killing them like a slow poison, leaving fans curious about his status. Then, he was out for the rest of the game, staying in the locker room. Certainly, the upper-body injury isn't as severe as initially thought, right?
Shea Theodore is expected to be out week-to-week due to the upper-body injury he sustained at the 4Nations Face-Off.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 13, 2025
One could imagine Golden Knights fans not taking this news particularly well.
They're in the right to feel that way, too. The British Columbia native has been instrumental to his team's offense, scoring 41 assists this season. That's a career-high for a player who received a contract extension on October 24, 2024. What's a team to do when one of their best puck-moving blue liners is out for an extended period?
Well, the LTIR jokes will start pouring in from opposing fans (even though he doesn't have that designation). Bear in mind that his designation will be retroactive if he does get put on. However, he does have a cap hit of $5.2 million this season that the team could set aside until he returns. But there's more to the 29-year-old's injury than simple money matters. Here's what his injury means for the team during their Stanley Cup run.
What Shea Theodore's injury means for the Vegas Golden Knights
First, losing Shea Theodore hurts the Vegas Golden Knights on the power play (second-best in the NHL at 28%). It leaves a massive void for a puck-moving defenseman who can run the group and create scoring opportunities. The newly extended blue-liner has two goals and 17 assists on the unit, making him one of the most important pieces around.
While names like Tomas Hertl (10 goals, eight assists on the power play) and Eichel (three goals and 20 assists on the unit) have also carried the group, it makes it tougher for them to get said scoring opportunities. Therefore, Vegas must be creative regarding how those chances are formed and take better care of the puck.
But his injury doesn't just affect his NHL team. It also affects Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off for those same reasons. With one less puck-moving defenseman, it puts massive pressure on a superstar like Cale Makar to get the job done. It also leaves Canada prone to being exploited, for opponents can cover the Avalanche defender and take away his space. Canada doesn't want to lose Makar as they did Theodore, for it'll hurt their transition and offensive game immensely.
Fans have seen this movie before, with a top player being out for some time with a bad injury. The past couple of seasons have seen Mark Stone and Eichel shelved with different health issues, ranging from lower-body problems to... spleens. But this one will require the team to step up if they want another Stanley Cup. Otherwise, their hopes will be gambled away.