If I told you that Shea Theodore was atop the point shares leaderboard, you'd be shocked. Your jaw would hit the floor so hard that you'd need to go to the ER. It's like you either saw Sydney Sweeney or John Stamos in person.
But that seems to be the case with the Golden Knights defenseman. Theodore has 57 point shares, nine more than Marchessault's 48. Mind you, the Nashville Predators winger sits in second place in this regard.
But let's look at what a point share is. Do you happen to know what WAR is for baseball, dear reader? It's used to measure wins above the next man up and is the darling among baseball analysts and nerds.
Well, this is basically that statistic, only on ice. Point shares measure the overall value of an NHL player to a team, taking everything into account. That includes their assists, defensive play, and power play contributions (among other things).
In short, Theodore is essentially the Golden Knights' version of Mike Trout. He's arguably the most important player on the team, delivering silky-smooth passes and quarterbacking the power play. Sure, you can talk about Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev anchoring the latter (especially with a combined 27 power play goals last season). However, it's the Original Misfit who gets the job done.
Who could usurp Theodore atop the point shares board?
One name that obviously comes to mind is Jack Eichel. Currently, he sits in ninth place in Golden Knights point shares with 29. However, fans saw what the elite center can do if given a full season. Scoring 28 goals and 94 points while breaking franchise records will put you on a solid path.
Of course, that's contingent on whether he gets his contract extension with the Golden Knights. It's still a slam dunk that he'll get his deal, considering he's beloved in Las Vegas. But each passing day has more fans worried about a potential deal not getting done.
One can also point to players like Mitch Marner and Pavel Dorofeyev as potential candidates to surpass Theodore. If the Golden Knights get Marner's point production from his Toronto Maple Leafs days, he'll shoot up the rankings without any problems.
As for Dorofeyev, scoring a team-high 35 goals was just the start. Repeating that performance and improving his presence away from the puck will bolster his numbers and increase his point shares.
Fans can't forget that Theodore has seven more years maximum with the Golden Knights
Of course, that also coincides with Shea Theodore earning a seven-year contract extension last season. He's sticking around and has a chance to earn more point shares. That's good news for the Original Misfit if he wants to maintain his record.
That's especially true if he can maintain a pace of roughly 50 assists per season. That type of play proves to be valuable for the Golden Knights, whether that's on the power play or even strength. After all, you can't have the second-best power play in the NHL without puck-moving defensemen.
While that sounds nice, health is the X-factor here. Keep in mind that Theodore hasn't had the cleanest bill of health in recent years, suffering from a wrist injury in the past year. Maintaining that point share lead depends on whether he avoids injuries and stays on the ice. Mind you, injuries are a part of the game and are a complete wild card.
Still, that shouldn't stop the defenseman from trying to run away with the point shares record. It's part of being a Misfit since "Day F*****g One," for you can lay claim to being on the ice for Vegas. While there will be some tough adversaries such as one Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, that shouldn't stop Theodore from holding onto that record.