The Edmonton Oilers had a host of problems last season, but none were more damaging than their inability to keep the puck out of their net.

In 2023-24, the Oilers ranked 10th in goals against; that slipped to 15th in 2024-25 and 25th last season. If they’re going to get back into Cup contention, they must flip this trend around. It’s non-negotiable.

This offseason, Stan Bowman tried to address this issue by hiring a new coaching staff and reworking the club’s defensive core and goaltending. On paper, the results look promising. In goal, he acquired Frederik Andersen and Devon Levi to form an intriguing three-man rotation with Tristan Jarry. On defence, he traded Darnell Nurse for Shakir Mukhamadullin and made his most significant UFA signing of the summer: Ryan Shea.

At 29 years old, Shea stepped into a top-four role for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season for the first time, setting career highs in goals, assists, points, plus-minus, and ice time. His breakout campaign helped the Penguins secure a surprise playoff berth.

Shea took a significant step forward thanks in large part to his penalty killing and transitional play — skills that should make him a great fit for the Oilers. But is he the most impactful acquisition the Oilers made? And can he make a big enough impact to restore their defensive core to championship-level status?

Penalty killing is more crucial to winning than most realize. Eight of the last 10 Stanley Cup champions ranked in the top half of the league in PK percentage, and seven of the last 10 killed off at least 80 per cent of their penalties in the playoffs.

Other than one hot stretch during their 2024 playoff run, reliable penalty killing has been a missing ingredient of the championship formula for the Oilers. Things reached a boiling point last year, when they dipped to 77.8 per cent in the regular season and a putrid 50 per cent in the playoffs. It’s an area that must get better for the Oilers to reduce their goals-against, and one where Shea could have a significant impact.

According to HockeyStats, Shea’s Wins above replacement (WAR) on the PK over the last three seasons ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, he’s been a more impactful penalty killer than 89 per cent of the league’s defencemen. Nurse, meanwhile, struggled mightily shorthanded, ranking in the 12th percentile for penalty-killing WAR. Edmonton’s shots, goals, and expected goals against all rose when Nurse was on the PK last season.

One man can’t turn a penalty kill around by himself, but replacing one of the team’s worst PKers with one of the best in the league is a good place to start. With Shea in place of Nurse, a new coach, and a full season with Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy, the Oilers have the makings of a solid penalty kill for the first time in a long time.

Shea appears to be a clear upgrade over Nurse on the penalty kill, but what about his five-on-five impact? If there’s one thing Shea can do to help the Oilers, at even strength, it’s retrieve and move pucks out of the defensive zone.

Shea’s passing and D-zone retrieval metrics consistently rank among the league’s best. He should be able to facilitate a faster, more efficient breakout, which is something the Oilers lacked last season whenever the Ekholm-Bouchard pairing wasn’t on the ice.

These are once again areas where Nurse struggled. He ranked in the bottom half of the league in D-zone retrievals, exits, and pass exits. He wasn’t efficient making plays with the puck in the defensive zone, and often had more success skating up to the red line and dumping it in. As much as Nurse and Murphy defended well together, they still seemed a little stuck in the mud at times. That won’t be a problem for Shea.

Shea was the most expensive acquisition the Oilers made this offseason, and for good reason. His skill set is perfect for the fast, up-tempo style that Edmonton likes to play, and his penalty killing was sorely needed. There’s also plenty of opportunity for him to move up the depth chart if Mattias Ekholm declines with age or Jake Walman fails to bounce back. I believe Shea will be the most impactful acquisition, but there are other candidates.

Andersen has the potential to be a real difference-maker between the pipes, as does Levi if the 24-year-old finally breaks through in the NHL. That said, the three-goalie rotation will likely keep both of them under 40 games played, somewhat limiting how much each moves the needle on their own. Mukhamadullin is another acquisition with upside, given his age and physical tools, but he’s most likely going to start the season as the seventh defenceman.

As intriguing as their new players are, no single acquisition will turn the Oilers into a Cup contender again. It’s going to take all of them, and a few returning players bouncing back, for Edmonton to earn the right to hoist Lord Stanley next spring. Shea, however, has the potential to address multiple needs and play on any pair. If he can bring his best, he represents a more meaningful upgrade than any other acquisition made this summer.

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