Theodore was cut as much as a result of the team's glut of extra defenseman and his ability to be assigned to Chicago without passing through waivers, more than his performance.
But with Jason Garrison and Griffin Reinhart both have been sent to Chicago over the past few days, this opened the door for Theodore's recall.
"He went down to Chicago, played great hockey down there," Gallant said of Theodore. "(Wolves head coach) Rocky Thompson said every game he played, he was one of their best players."
While Gallant said that he's excited to get Theodore back, he said that he hasn't decided how to utilize the defenseman just yet. The other defensemen still on Vegas' roster are Nate Schmidt, Deryk Engelland, Colin Miller, Luca Sbisa, Brad Hunt, Brayden McNabb and Jon Merrill. NHL teams typically play six defensemen per game.
All of Theodore's prior NHL games came as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. He played in 53 contests n the regular season and 20 more in the playoffs, and was acquired by Vegas in an Expansion Draft deal that also saw the Golden Knights acquire Clayton Stoner, who is currently on IR.
Before coming to Vegas, Theodore was seen as an up-and-coming star for the Ducks, who simply got forced out by a crowded blue line situation that included several established veterans and No-Movement Clauses.
"Shea Theodore is a guy that's got lots of talent," Gallant says. "He skates real well. He moves the puck real well. We're excited. We're excited to get him back on our team.
"He's one of our bright young stars of the future."
