Shea Theodore has gotten plenty of talk as a potential trade chip for the Vegas Golden Knights. The defenseman will be in the last year of his current deal next season, with a cap hit of $5.2 million. His name has been thrown around in numerous circles, including a potential Mitch Marner deal. But there's another defenseman who could also be in the trading mix: Brayden McNabb.
Like Theodore, McNabb will also be in the last year of his current deal next season. He has a cap hit of $2.85 million next year. While he does have a modified no-trade clause, he also has a five-team no-trade list. Theodore also has a modified no-trade clause that works the same way.
However, the 33-year-old hasn't gotten as much traction on the trade market as his fellow defenseman. Why? It's partially because McNabb is older, with Theodore being five years younger. There's also more the utility aspect, where his fellow defenseman can do more, including being a power play asset.
Plus, the Vegas Golden Knight would love to make more cap space by getting rid of a bigger contract. Obviously, $5.2 million is bigger than $2.85 million, making Shea Theodore more attractive on the trade market. Therefore, it's easy to see why general manager Kelly McCrimmon would want to shop Theodore instead of his fellow defenseman.
But that shouldn't discount McNabb from being looked at from a trading standpoint. Why could he also be a trading chip for Vegas? There are plenty of reasons why he could be a plausible alternative for the team to move. Here are some reasons why McNabb could also be on the trading block.
Brayden McNabb is underrated
One thing that could make Brayden McNabb attractive to potential suitors is his clutch play. He had a good postseason for the Vegas Golden Knights this year, scoring two goals and three assists in seven games. For an offense that was mostly absent, his contributions helped get Vegas to the deciding game. That included a goal and an assist in the third game, where the Golden Knights were on the doorstep of winning.
While he won't light up the scoreboard regularly, he scores when needed. But his main calling card is blocking shots, which he does well. The defenseman was tied for third in the NHL in that category this season with 207. He can also be a physical player, for he had 149 hits this season. Overall, he's had 1,107 blocked shots and 1,228 hits in his seven seasons with the Golden Knights.
While Shea Theodore is more attractive because of his versatility and age, McNabb is good if teams want a pure defenseman. The Saskatchewan native puts his body on the line every night, displaying a tough facade. He could benefit a team that needs more bite on their blue line.
He also has size
Being a big body allows an athlete to do more in their respective arena. They can win matchups much easier and can be tough to handle one-on-one. Prospecting teams will appreciate what Brayden McNabb brings to the table, for he's that big body.
The Saskatchewan defenseman stands at 6'4" and weighs 216 lbs. Part of his physical play comes from leveraging his size throughout his defensive play, making him a tough matchup. Whether it's a solid hip check or a blocked shot, he's not afraid to go all-out in the defensive zone.
That's especially true on the penalty kill, where he's also strong. He leverages his size to block shots here, prepping the Vegas Golden Knights to dump the puck out. $2.85 million might be peanuts compared to $5.2 million from a salary cap perspective. However, the Golden Knights are desperate to make room, which means they might look to move McNabb if Theodore doesn't go.
Will the Vegas Golden Knights move him?
Regarding the rumors of Mitch Marner, there's been the belief that Logan Thompson and Shea Theodore could be part of the deal. It makes sense, for the Vegas Golden Knights might remove these contracts. However, bringing on a bigger contract wouldn't make sense unless another team picks up part of the tab.
So why not pitch Brayden McNabb and Theodore together? Vegas could have a third team involved (i.e. Philadelphia in the Noah Hanifin deal) and have them retain some of the salary. Half would be preferred, which would make it easier to re-sign a particular player.
There's also the surplus of defensemen the Golden Knights have, with Kaeden Korczak waiting in the wings. There are also other prospects such as Lukas Cormier getting ready for the future. Vegas will have more defensive options than they can handle, making this more plausible.
However, there can be an argument made that trading too much defensive depth can hurt them. All of Brayden McNabb's aforementioned attributes would be gone from the Golden Knights, hurting them defensively. Plus, he could be the perfect mentor for Korczak, developing him into a true NHL-ready defenseman.
Whatever the case, McNabb should be a name to watch for in the trading block. He's 33 years old, has a cap hit of $2.85 million, and is in the last year of his current deal. Although teams will be more likely to look at Shea Theodore from a trading perspective, it wouldn't hurt to add the Saskatchewan native.
