Shea Theodore rounds into form for Golden Knights

Shea Theodore hopped over the bench and onto the ice late in Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins as the Golden Knights searched for a game-tying goal.

Then he did so again. And again.

In total, Theodore played 4:01 of the final 5:16 of the Knights’ 4-3 loss. He finished with a team-high 26:01 of ice time — the fourth-highest total of his career.

He’s arguably grown into the team’s best defenseman, and he’s playing crucial minutes now that he’s up to speed following a difficult summer. A brush with testicular cancer caused him to begin training camp late. He started the season slow.

But he’s showing now why the Knights view him as a foundational part of their blue line.

“I think any time anyone goes through a summer with an injury like that, you do lose a chunk,” said the 24-year-old Theodore, who’s under contract through the 2024-25 season. “But I think it’s just confidence. This time of the year, you get into that routine and that day-in, day-out grind. I think when you start to build some confidence and get some flow and some rhythm to your game, it helps everything come together.”

There’s no doubt the pieces are starting to fall into place for Theodore.

He understandably worked back slowly from an offseason surgery to remove a 5 millimeter-by-5 millimeter lump. He had one goal and four assists in 14 October games and was a minus-4.

“We all know what he went through,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “I think he was behind the eight ball and it’s not easy as a professional player like him. You’re spending the first month and a half catching up.”

Since then he’s worked himself into top form. And the Knights’ decision to switch to zone coverage in their defensive zone helped unlock his offensive abilities.

Theodore has been able to conserve energy in his own zone, which has allowed him to join the rush more. It’s a good play almost every time he does, because his skating and stick-handling abilities have always been special for a defenseman.

“You’re definitely seeing his elite skill,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “He’s a great player. When he’s moving and skating like he can, he creates a lot of chances to make plays and opportunities for him to score. When he’s doing that, it’s fun to watch.”

The system change and Theodore’s increased fitness have led to a huge run of offensive production. He has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 18 games since the beginning of December. It’s also given him more responsibility.

Theodore leads Knights’ skaters in time on ice per game at 21:35, seven seconds more than defenseman Nate Schmidt. Last season Schmidt played an average of 1:51 more per game than Theodore.

It’s not like Schmidt’s playing time has been significantly cut. Theodore is simply earning more. When he is producing offensively like he has been, it’s hard to keep him off the ice.

“Sometimes you play him too much and that’s the problem. But when we’re chasing from behind, we have to put him out there too much,” Gallant said. “I like to play six d-men, but when we are chasing from behind, he has a lot of skill and a lot of talent and he gets up on the rush. Again, he’s been outstanding for us, especially the last month or so.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.