Since their inauguration in 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights defense corps has been a staple in Vegas hockey. To this day, their blueline is one of the strongest in the NHL both defensively and offensively.

At the helm of the defense corps, are two star defenders: Alex Pietrangelo, and Shea Theodore. Former Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo signed a seven-year, $61.6M contract with the Knights in 2020, and he has been their top defender since. Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon described Pietrangelo as a guy who is the first over the boards for every situation, whether it be even strength, powerplay, or penalty kill, Pietrangelo is a strong two-way defenseman for the Golden Knights. Pietrangelo brought cup pedigree when he signed with Vegas, as well as his ability to log big minutes, and shut down the opposition’s top forwards. Pietrangelo is one of the NHL’s most consistent defenders, giving Vegas a confident, stable option on their strong blueline.

Alex Pietrangelo VGK Statistics: 265GP, 35G, 125A, 160P

Shea Theodore is the other star defender that Vegas has locked down for their future. On October 24th, Vegas signed Theodore to a seven-year extension, worth $51.975M, with an AAV of $7.425M. This makes Theodore Vegas’ second highest paid defenseman, behind previously named Alex Pietrangelo, and just ahead of their recently extended defender Noah Hanifin. Theodore is another guy like Pietrangelo; a strong, two-way defender that could be utilized on both special teams, and someone who is relied upon to suppress the opposition when needed. Unfortunately, Theodore has struggled with injury problems over the last few seasons, not having played in over 55 games in either season. Theodore could’ve likely fetched over $8.5M in the open market, giving Vegas a little bit of a break contractually.

Shea Theodore VGK Statistics: 450GP, 67G, 229A, 296P

Aside from their two top defenders, the next round of talent comes down to Noah Hanifin, and Brayden McNabb. Hanifin was previously a Calgary Flame, being acquired by Vegas at the deadline last season. Hanifin served as a top defender for the Flames, splitting time on the powerplay with Rasmus Andersson. Hanifin is a very good offensive defenseman, and he’s capable enough defensively to handle himself in his own zone. When a team has Noah Hanifin as their third ranked defenseman, they have one hell of a defense backing them up. McNabb is one of the strongest defenders out there, with little offensive abilities, he makes up for it on the defensive side. He is not afraid to block shots, and he will do whatever it takes for the puck to not go into the back of the net. Every team needs a strong defensive defenseman, and Brayden McNabb is one of the best.

With a bottom pair that could consist of any pair of Nic Hague, Zach Whitecloud, and Ben Hutton, Vegas has one of the strongest – if not the strongest – defensive corps in the entire NHL. With most of the defense listed previously, they were strong enough to help contribute to Vegas’ first Stanley Cup victory in 2023. With the current defense they have, they have the talent and depth to help contribute to another strong playoff run in the near future.