It appears Shea Theodore will finally make his long-awaited debut for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Following the Golden Knights’ 6-3 loss to the New York Islanders Monday night, head coach Gerard Gallant said, “There’s a good chance [Theodore]’s probably going to play” against the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
Theodore, one of the Golden Knights’ final cuts in training camp, has been an absolute force in the AHL. The 22-year-old defenseman has scored five goals and 11 points in just eight contests with the Chicago Wolves to start the season and figures to make an immediate impact as a point producer at the next level.
To make room for Theodore on the roster, Vegas placed defenseman Griffin Reinhart on waivers Sunday, who has since been assigned to the Wolves. Reinhart hadn’t appeared in any of the Golden Knights’ 10 regular season games.
With Theodore likely to play against the Rangers, it will be interesting to see who ends up being the Knights’ healthy scratch on the blueline. Brad Hunt and Colin Miller, the Knights’ third-pair defensemen, have both been highly effective offensively. Deryk Engelland leads the team in average time-on-ice and the top pairing of Nate Schmidt and Luca Sbisa appears to be safe. This leaves out Brayden McNabb, who has already spent time in the press box earlier this season.
Regardless of who gets taken out of the lineup, though, Theodore will finally be given the opportunity to stick in the NHL, adding more intrigue to an already exciting Golden Knights hockey club.