Defenceman Ryan Shea, who watched the Oilers from the opposing bench while with the Penguins, has signed a five-year contract worth $4 million annually with Edmonton after the team traded Darnell Nurse to San Jose to free up cap space. Shea described free agency as the most stressful period of his career, but said Edmonton was always his top choice.
Shea's Free Agency Journey
Shea, 29, hit the open market for the first time after a breakout 35-point season with Pittsburgh. His agent fielded calls from multiple teams, but Shea monitored the Nurse trade speculation closely. “They weren’t telling us what they were doing but it was pretty obvious they would have to move a guy to make room. We were exploring other options and then when it happened … Edmonton was at the top of my list the whole time,” Shea said.
From Penguins to Oilers
Shea recalled facing the Oilers last season, including the night Leon Draisaitl recorded his 1,000th point on a power play in Pittsburgh. “It was cool to see Draisaitl get a big one against us in Pittsburgh. The bench cleared for that one. That was the biggest memory I have of those games, pretty cool,” Shea said. He also noted the matchup between goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry that night.
Role with Oilers
Shea is expected to slot in as the third left-shot defenceman behind Mattias Ekholm and Jake Walman. He played the fourth-most minutes among Penguins skaters last season and ranked second on the team in penalty-kill ice time behind Parker Wotherspoon, who was traded to Vegas. Shea and Connor Murphy could form the top penalty-kill pairing for Edmonton.
Shea’s path to the NHL included four years at Northeastern University and three seasons in the AHL before debuting at age 26. He earned $900,000 last season with Pittsburgh. The Oilers signed him after trading Nurse to San Jose for younger defenceman Shakir Mukhamadullin, among other assets.
Playoff Aspirations
“They’ve got the players to get to the most important part of the season, and that’s playoffs,” Shea said, emphasizing Edmonton’s championship potential as a key draw.
