Why Ryan Shea chose Edmonton and how he'll help the Oilers defence
Ryan Shea has come a long way in a short period of time.
The 29-year-old defenceman wasn’t on anybody’s radar at the beginning of last season, but wound up putting together a really solid year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, collecting six goals and 35 points in 80 games.
It blew away his previous career-high of five points the season prior and was enough to earn him a lucrative five-year, $20 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers this past summer.
Advice from a former Oiler
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Edmonton was one of many teams calling Shea on July 1, but the Oilers stood out among the rest.
“You got the leadership core that knows how to win and get far in the playoffs,” Shea told Offside in an exclusive interview. “You bring in a new coach that has had so much success and a coaching staff that knows how to win.
“I think it’s just an exciting time to be an Oiler, and I think it was a no-brainer for me.”
Shea smooth as butter đ§ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/uuDgUmxbvu
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 20, 2026
Milton, Mass. native has never played for a Canadian team, and said he researched Edmonton before deciding to ink a deal with the Oilers. He also enlisted the help of former Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, who he played with in Pittsburgh last season.
“Stu reached out to me a couple of times; I reached out to him,” Shea said. “We had good conversations; he said nothing but great things about [Edmonton]; obviously, he was here for so long.”
Building on a career year
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The question on a lot of minds heading into this new season, regarding Shea, is whether he can prove that last season wasn’t a fluke.
“I believed in myself that I belonged there, that I was an everyday NHLer in my second year, and it showed in my third year, and obviously I had that great year,” Shea said. “We had a great team; we had a lot of momentum.
“If I play like that on an offensive team like this, with some of the guys we have, I think the sky’s the limit for all our defencemen.”
RNH âĄď¸ KAPPY âĄď¸ SHEASY âĄď¸ đ¨ pic.twitter.com/Q1e4mCQeGu
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 27, 2026
The left-shot blueliner has looked great during his first training camp and preseason with the Oilers, but the real test will be whether he can continue that strong play into the regular season.
One thing that he appears intent on proving is that he is the type of player that head coach Mike Babcock can rely on in any situation, whether that be as a penalty-killer, a third-pair defensive stalwart, or a puck-moving defenceman who can take reps on the first pair.
He wants to be Edmonton’s resident Swiss Army knife on the blueline.
“In Pittsburgh, they put me with [Letang]; they put me on the right side for games. I think my first 40 games out of 60 were on the right side,” Shea said. “I think to have that versatility is huge in the league. Everyone’s so good that you need to have a couple things that make you stand out.
“I’ll play wherever the coaching staff wants to put me, to be honest. There’s no problem there. Obviously, I think everyone will say, I’m definitely better and more effective on my strong side, but I take pride in being able to play where coaches want me to.”
It appears that Shea will begin the season on the third pair next to Shakir Mukhamadullin, but he did take a few reps with Evan Bouchard on the top pair to start camp.
Playing with the NHL’s best
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Shea is in a unique position heading into this season. He will transition from a legendary leadership group in Pittsburgh that included Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang to another high-powered group in Edmonton with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
For some, getting the chance to play alongside such talented players can be an adjustment, but Shea believes the experience he gathered with the Penguins has set him up nicely in Edmonton.
“It prepares you quite a bit,” Shea said. “Every time you’re on the ice with a guy like Sid and Geno, you wanna do what’s right, you wanna get opportunities, you wanna get that approval in their eyes, but once you get comfortable, they’re just another hockey player, and they want the best for everyone.
“It’s a little bit of a cheat code that I was lucky enough to play with some of the best players that have played this game and then come here, and it’s some of the best guys to ever put on skates. It’s pretty special, and I take positives out of both Sid and [McDavid] as captains.”