Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore growing into Norris Trophy candidate

The latest example of Shea Theodore’s arrival as an elite defenseman in the NHL wasn’t a seeing-eye shot on the power play or an exhilarating rush with the puck.

It happened at the other end of the ice.

With one minute gone in the third period of what would eventually become a 5-3 Golden Knights victory Sunday, Vancouver standout Elias Pettersson chipped a loose puck into the neutral zone and appeared to have room along the right wing.

However, Theodore read the play, angled off the reigning rookie of the year and poke-checked the puck free at the Knights’ blue line.

He then pivoted, and while moving backward, fired a 150-foot diagonal pass from the bottom of the left circle to wing Jonathan Marchessault, who was standing at the opposing blue line.

The play fizzled out and didn’t directly lead to a scoring chance for the Knights. But Theodore pulled it off with ease.

“I think Shea Theodore is obviously turning into a Norris (Trophy)-caliber defenseman,” right wing Mark Stone said after the win.

Coming-out party

The postseason continues to be a coming-out party for Theodore, the Knights’ answer to critics who said the team didn’t have a No. 1 defenseman.

Theodore, who turned 25 on Aug. 3, is tied with Stone for the team lead in scoring with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) and carries a six-game point streak into Thursday’s Game 5 against the Canucks at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Knights lead the series 3-1 and are one victory from advancing to the Western Conference final.

“When you think about defending, you automatically think about the front of your own net or knocking people around in the corner,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said. “He defends from the offensive zone back, and then once he gets to his own end of the rink, he competes.

“He’s not a big guy, but he’s not afraid to go back first for pucks and get physically engaged in the corners, which isn’t always an attribute of a guy that skates like him.”

Theodore, who was treated for testicular cancer last summer, was the second-best point producer among defensemen from Dec. 13 until the pause with 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists). Only Nashville’s Roman Josi, a finalist for this season’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman, had more during that stretch.

Theodore benefited from the freedom he was afforded in DeBoer’s system and has been even more effective in the postseason.

When Theodore is on the ice during the postseason, the Knights have 58.2 percent of the shot attempts at five-on-five and have outscored teams 19-6, according to stats at NHL.com. He is tied for the league lead in goals among defensemen and is third in assists.

With two assists in Game 4, Theodore became the fifth active defenseman to reach 40 career playoff points in 60 games or fewer, joining Erik Karlsson, Torey Krug, Drew Doughty and P.K. Subban. Theodore has 10 goals and 30 assists in 59 career appearances with the Knights and Anaheim.

‘See his confidence grow’

“I think all of athletics, your performance drives through your confidence, and I think you can just see his confidence grow over the past couple years,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “He’s firing on cylinders right now, and it’s a lot of fun to watch and he’s a huge part of our team.”

Theodore, whose $5.2 million salary cap hit through 2024-25 is turning into a bargain, will not win the Norris Trophy this season.

But he could be in the running for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP if the Knights continue to advance.

The NHL Network ranked Theodore No. 20 on its list of best defensemen this summer, and he’s part of a large crop of blue liners that should compete for the Norris Trophy in future seasons. That includes Vancouver rookie standout Quinn Hughes.

“I think for sure he’s going to be in that conversation next year and for years to come,” DeBoer said of Theodore. “His confidence, his two-way game, I thought (Sunday) night he was dominant. The ability to take over a game like that. He has all those characteristics.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.