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Shea excited about joining Oilers: ‘This is a whole different animal’

Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

By Michael Menzies

Jul 10, 2026, 18:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 10, 2026, 18:32 EDT

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Ryan Shea established himself as an NHL player after last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He can log minutes and play a role in team success on a nightly basis.

Now, can he help elevate the Edmonton Oilers’ blueline in their shared pursuit of a Stanley Cup?

“This is a whole different animal,” Shea told Derek van Diest of NHL.com. “You’re going to be here for five years, and you have a chance to win the Cup and it’s about just getting in there, being a good teammate and performing on the ice, and I’m ready to do that.”

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman made the biggest contract commitment in free agency to the 29-year-old defenceman, whom he drafted in the fourth round in 2015. After four consecutive one-year deals, Shea is set to earn $20 million over the next five years, a life-changing contract.

“I think from the start of free agency, this is the team me and my agent were talking to,” Shea said. “When he first told me Edmonton, my eyes lit up because after getting to the playoffs for the first time in my career in Pittsburgh, it’s literally the best hockey and probably the funnest hockey I’ve ever played.

“Edmonton is known for their success, and they obviously have high-calibre players and they know how to win and know how to get to that point in the season, so I’m excited. As a competitor, all you want to do is win and battle it out for the best trophy.”

The journey

Shea played four years of college hockey and multiple seasons with the Texas Stars before landing in the Penguins organization. Even then, it was a slow climb, first suiting up for an NHL game on October 21, 2023. Soon after, though, he was placed on waivers and shuffled down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

He elevated his game in 2024-25, enough to get another one-year extension in March from Penguins GM Kyle Dubas. However, just days later, he broke his hand, missing almost three weeks. It was unfortunate because at the time, Shea said his confidence was at an “all-time high.”

“Personally, I knew what I could bring and I knew I had that type of play in me for a while,” said Shea. “It was about getting the right opportunity and confidence in myself to put it on the ice, day in and day out.”

He returned last season and played 80 games, scoring six goals and 35 points, while also leading the Pens in plus-minus at plus-30. Shea played all six playoff games for Pittsburgh, an eventual loss to cross-state rivals in Philadelphia.

“I think it was just me finding that role in my game,” he said. “I think Pittsburgh did a great job of giving me a role and I think everything has to be earned in this League, whether you make a certain number of dollars or have been in the League for a certain number of years. I like having that mindset because it teaches you that nothing can be taken for granted.”

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Dec 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) skates with the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Shea’s skill set

Bowman agreed. At his press conference on July 1, he said that Shea had an “outstanding season.” Once the Oilers were able to move veteran Darnell Nurse with no salary cap retention, they were able to lock down Shea.

“He was one of the players that we targeted in our meetings leading up till today, hoping that if we were able to get some cap space, we might be able to bring him in,” said Bowman.

“I thought he had an excellent season, both offensively and defensively. He’s got really good mobility. He’s got the ability to make plays. His penalty kill was excellent this year, one of the best guys in the league at that this year, but he also could make some plays and score. He’s not afraid to get up in the play and help the offensive side of the game. I think his skill set is really going to complement the other guys that we have on defence right now.”

With Mattias Ekholm and Jake Walman playing on the left side, Shea currently figures to play on the team’s third pair. But there is somewhat of a logjam, with Shakir Mukhamadullin also in the mix, and returnee Ty Emberson, competing for two spots on a game-by-game basis. That doesn’t factor in Spencer Stastney, either.

If Shea’s game continues to grow, he could be capable of stepping up to play more minutes. He averaged 18:53 on the Pens last season, exactly one second more than Walman, his fewest minutes per game dating back to 2021-22.

At the very least, Shea will know what it’s like to play beside some of the game’s greatest, coming from a Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin-led group, to one led by McDavid and Draisaitl.

Not everyone can say that.

“I got a lot of text messages and calls, and probably 70 to 80 percent of it was people mentioning that,” he said. My dad said when it’s all said and done, I get to say I played with guys that will probably go down as the top guys to ever play the sport. It’s awesome, honestly.

“The guys in Edmonton, Connor, Leon (Draisaitl) and (Zach) Hyman have already texted me and welcomed me, so it’s already starting, and you can see the kind of culture those guys have built there, and I’m just really excited for it.”

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.

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