Golden Knights Defender Out Week-to-Week

The Vegas Golden Knights announced their top defender will be out for a few weeks.

Feb 4, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) skates with the puck against the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

In the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Shea Theodore of the Vegas Golden Knights and Team Canada took an awkward hit into the boards. He was visibly in discomfort after the check, and immediately went to be examined by the trainer and would not return. He finished the game with less than seven minutes of ice-time and a grim outlook on his availability for the remainder of the tournament.

The Golden Knights have shared an injury update on their top defender. The organization announced that Theodore will be out week-to-week due to the upper-body injury he sustained in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The status update means that Theodore will miss the remainder of the tournament. Vegas shared the news via their X account.

Shea Theodore is expected to be out week-to-week due to the upper-body injury he sustained at the 4Nations Face-Off.

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 13, 2025

With Theodore out, Canada is now down to just six defensemen. The good news for Team Canada is that they can have another defender lined up and ready to go should they lose another one. NHL insider Chris Johnston shared how that would work, and made it clear that Canada will have to first use the six blue liners currently on their roster before adding another injury replacement. That leaves Philadelphia Flyers defender Travis Sanheim as the next man up in the Canadian lineup.

The injury is also a huge loss for the Golden Knights. Theodore is the team's top left-handed puck-mover, and he's a critical part of their success. This season has been one of the best of his entire NHL career. Through 55 games, he has seven goals and 41 assists for 48 points.

Theodore is also the second Canadian defensemen from Vegas to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. Alex Pietrangelo was originally named to Team Canada, but opted to skip in favor of rest and recovery. Now Theodore joins him, the only difference being he was forced out of the competition.

Canada will take on the United States in their second game of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Sanheim will slot into the lineup, but his exact placement in the pairings is still a mystery.

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