The Vegas Golden Knights are keeping one of their most important pending unrestricted free agents for the long haul. The team announced they had signed defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract extension worth $51.975MM, making for an AAV of $7.425MM. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that the deal breaks down as follows:
2025-26: $9.5MM
2026-27: $9.5MM
2027-28: $8.6MM
2028-29: $7.275MM
2029-30: $5.7MM
2030-31: $5.7MM
2031-32: $5.7MM
Theodore is one of three original members of the Golden Knights organization left, and this extension will keep him with the team through the 2031-32 NHL season. He was projected to become one of the most sought-after defensemen in free agency next offseason, making this extension somewhat of a hometown discount. Evolving-Hockey projected Theodore to land an eight-year extension worth just over $9MM a season, meaning the Golden Knights will get him for $1.5MM cheaper, with the salary cap continuing to rise.
Part of the lower-than-expected price tag may be due to Theodore’s availability over the last several years. The former 26th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft only managed 180 regular-season games for Vegas from 2021 to the end of last season, losing over a quarter of the games due to various injuries. Should his injury history continue into this contract, it could mark one of the riskier extensions of the last year.
Despite the absence due to injuries over the last few years, there is credibility for the Golden Knights, making Theodore their second-highest-paid defenseman. He’s arguably been Vegas’ best offensive weapon from the blue line over his eight-year tenure, scoring 67 goals and 296 points in 450 games, with 88 points from the powerplay.
He hasn’t been a slouch on the other side of the puck, either. Theodore has posted an impressive 58.8 CF% with a 91.0% on-ice save percentage in all situations throughout his time in Sin City, with an expected rating of +78.4, according to Hockey Reference. There’s an argument to be made that much of Theodore’s success in the possession metrics comes from his 63.2% offensive zone start rate, but it wouldn’t excuse all of it from a defenseman who’s averaged nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game.
Starting next season, the Golden Knights will have $23.575MM invested in three defensemen at the top of their lineup. This may prohibit the organization from retaining other pending unrestricted and restricted free agents currently on the roster, but it’s par for the course from one of the league’s most aggressive franchises.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Ouch! Four years makes more sense. GMs continue to throw away money way past a player’s prime. And they wonder why they are always up against the cap, And eventually fired. Save money, Get younger.
Dont worry, theyll have someone on LTIR when needed.
inb4hd
Past his prime? Gtfo you’re delusional
@usakesler makes sense if you want him to decline the offer and leave. 29 isn’t past his prime.
Certainly not past his prime now, The length of the deal will take him way past his prime and then It’s just wasting money.
Said to myself, self, you have to check out the posts here because Vegas is in the headline and one of the babbling rubes will likely be here doing his thing about LTIR. Thank you for delivering and letting us know that some of you still don’t understand that this stuff was all collectively bargained and the Vegas moves that confuse you are within the rules.
this is how contracts are, if kelly didn’t give him this money, some other dumbass gm would
I literally put in that I posted specifically to troll you and you still delivered lmao
@usakesler only for two years, but it’s also front loaded 5 million for a third pair defense man at that point might not be a overpay because salaries will go up.