Vegas Golden Knights sign Shea Theodore to massive seven-year extension
Kelly McCrimmon and the Vegas Golden Knights just made a huge announcement, securing their top defenseman Shea Theodore with a long-term contract extension.
The Golden Knights are off to a strong start this season, with a 4-2-1 record through seven games, which is good enough to put them in second place in the Pacific division, only behind the Calgary Flames, who have shocked everyone with their start to the year. Theodore is a big part of the reason why as he leads the team's blueliners with 7 points, good for fourth among all defenseman in the NHL at this point in the season. His career his in points is 52, so he is not expected to keep that pace up for the entire season, but he has taken over the top powerplay and could be in line for a career year this season. The Knights made the official announcement with a post on their website, highlighting Theodore's accomplishments with the team so far.
Theodore, 29, is in his eighth season with the Golden Knights and leads the team's defensemen with seven points (1 G, 6 A) in six games this season. Theodore's seven points currently rank fourth among NHL defensemen in scoring to begin the 2024-25 campaign. Last year, the native of Aldergrove, British Columbia recorded a career-best .89 points per game played, which was seventh among all NHL defensemen, after finishing with 42 points (5 G, 37 A) in 47 games."
This is a big move for the club that has been known to be rather ruthless with how they handle their players. Former Knight Jonathan Marchessault called out the team last month for their lack of loyalty to their players, even fan favorites. This move could be the first step in an effort to move away from that narrative. We will just have to wait and see how the club handles the rest of their upcoming free agents. Meanwhile, Theodore has secured the biggest bad of his career, totaling just over 51 million dollars, on what will most likely be the last contract of his career, as it takes him well into his mid-thirties.
The Knights should be a good team for a little while longer, but admittedly, they are starting to get older and this extension only furthers that problem. Hopefully things don't come crashing down on them all the sudden or this deal could look like an albatross in a couple years time. For now though, they are still in win mode and Theodore certainly helps in that department.
