Ryan Shea's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins ended earlier this month when he signed a five-year, $20 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency. He is a player who the Penguins will miss, as he was a big part of their blueline last season. 

Shea had an impressive breakout year for the Penguins in 2025-26, as he posted new career highs with six goals, 29 assists, 35 points, and a plus-30 rating in 80 games. This was after he had just two goals and five points in 39 games for the Penguins during the 2024-25 season.

Given how well Shea played this past season with the Penguins, it is not surprising that he landed such a nice deal from the Oilers. When looking at their roster, he has the potential to be a strong addition for the Pacific Division club. 

After trading Darnell Nurse, it was clear that the Oilers needed to bring in another left-shot defenseman. As a result, it makes sense that they made a push for Shea. He should work very well on their bottom pairing and will give them another option to work with for their penalty kill.

Shea could also build off his strong breakout year when noting that he will have the chance to play superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton. With this, the possibility of him producing a bit more offense from the point with the Oilers should not be ruled out.

It will be interesting to see how well Shea fits into the Oilers' system from here.