The 2025-26 season was certainly a successful one for the Pittsburgh Penguins. There were many reasons behind the Penguins making the playoffs this year, and one of them was defenseman Ryan Shea breaking out in a major way. After posting two goals and five points in 39 games for the Penguins in 2024-25, he set new career highs with six goals, 29 assists, 35 points, and a plus-30 rating in 80 games this season. With numbers like these, Shea not only hit a new level this season for the Penguins but also emerged as one of their most important defensemen. Shea had a breakout year at the perfect time, too. This is because the 29-year-old defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and is due for a a nice raise from his previous $900K cap hit. This remains the case whether he ends up re-signing with the Penguins or testing the free agent market. Besides having a strong year for the Penguins this season, Shea's value should also increase because this year's free agency class is weak when it comes to left-shot defensemen. It is going to be interesting to see what Shea's next deal will look like. With how well he played for the Penguins this season, they should work hard to re-sign him.
