The Newest Ducklings: Defenseman Shea Theodore
This is the fifth and final part of the series on the newest members of the Anaheim Ducks, the 2013 draftees. I’m going to start with their last pick and go from there. The previous part was on Danish/Swedish winger Nick Sorensen. So, last but not least is Canadian defenseman Shea Theodore.
via prospects.dobbersports.com
The Anaheim Ducks selected defenseman Shea Theodore from the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) in the first round (26th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The 6’2″-178 lb defenseman is from Aldergrove, British Columbia. The 17-year-old is coming off his second full year with the Thunderbirds of the WHL. In his two full seasons in Seattle, he has racked up 23 goals and 62 assists for 85 points in 140 games played. Last year was his best when he put up 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points in 71 games played. However good his offensive numbers have looked, his plus/minus is dreadful. In his first year, he was -36 in 69 games played and this past year he was -24 in 71 games played. He is on a Thunderbirds team that isn’t exactly one of the better programs in the WHL, though. I wonder if anybody will notice, probably not, but I just copy and pasted the seven sentences from this. Not a big deal, I would’ve said the same thing in a different way. Theodore is an excellent puck-mover. He leads the breakout and quarterbacks the powerplay for Seattle. Scouts have marveled at his passing ability.
via hockeysfuture.com
Age: 17
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 179 lbs.
Scouting Report:
“We love his offensive hockey sense, we love the way he is so poised under pressure with the puck and we love the way he is able to generate offense from the blue line. We were very pleased with that selection. You look at his performance playing for Team Canada in the summer and at the end of the year. He played first power play and first penalty kill for them in both tournaments. In Seattle, they were very challenged and didn’t have a very good year with their goaltender. That affected the plus/minus for him and the whole team. He was on an island, so to speak, and I don’t think it will be an issue going forward.”– Martin Madden, Director of Amateur Scouting, Anaheim Ducks“While seemingly an odd and off the board pick from the Ducks, Seattle Thunderbird product Shea Theodore was a selection that makes sense taking in the entirety of the Ducks system. While Lindholm is more of an all-around defenseman and Sami Vatanen an offensive heavy defenseman, Theodore fills in well as a skilled puck-mover and outlet defenseman.Theodore, just 17 years old, is heading into his third year with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, and has been a consistent point-getter and powerplay quarterback. Last season he had 50 points in 71 games, and although the minus-24 is a bit concerning, Seattle was not the strongest squad this season by any stretch of the imagination, ranking seventh in the Western Conference and 17th of 22 teams in the WHL. His vision, hockey sense, and passing skills are top notch already and at such a young age the Langley, British Columbia native has a lot of time to grow in a crowded pipeline.Considered a powerplay specialist as well, Theodore came in at #11 in the final rankings for Central Scouting, which was a jump up from 17th at the midway point. B.J. MacDonald of Central Scouting summed up Theodore for the Ducks, saying that, “He can lay down a pass just as good as anyone in the league, always on the tape. He’s really heady and really smart, and he actually runs [Seattle’s] powerplay… Good size, good movement.”– Hockey’s Future
That does it for this series. I hope you guys enjoyed taking a look at the latest draft picks to join the franchise. While we wait for training camp and “The Decision: Teemu Selanne Part 5 or 6,” I have a couple of ideas to keep up the posts. So, until then, do what you do and do it well.
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