After being eliminated in the Western Conference Quarterfinal by the divisional rival Anaheim Ducks in April, the Edmonton Oilers have made several meaningful changes to their club, both behind the bench and on the ice.
Among the most meaningful changes by GM Stan Bowman was the termination of head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant coach Mark Stuart, and subsequent hirings of Mike Babcock and D.J. Smith as their replacements. They also traded longtime defenseman Darnell Nurse to the rival San Jose Sharks, while also saying goodbye to goaltenders Connor Ingram and Calvin Pickard.
Among their new players are goaltender Frederik Andersen from the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, along with defenseman Ryan Shea from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Shea, who had spent the last three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is excited to be with the Oilers and wants to move them closer toward their goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
Defenseman Ryan Shea Speaks Honestly About Joining The Edmonton Oilers
Shea, who signed a five-year, $20 million contract with the Oilers, will earn $4 million per season over the length of his deal.
Having already played with future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby, Shea knew that he was in store for multiple questions about the chance to play with another future Hall of Famer in Connor McDavid.
“I got a lot of text messages and calls, and probably 70 to 80 percent of it was people mentioning that,” Shea told NHL.com. “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.”
He also spoke honestly about the chance to play with McDavid, a chance that he didn’t want to pass up.
“You get Sid that has been around the game for so long and he’s won (Stanley) Cups and done everything that you can do pretty much in the League, and being around him and learning from him and his leadership was incredible,” Shea said. “And now you’re going to be playing with probably the best player to put on skates (McDavid).
“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.”
Ryan Shea Spent The Last Three Seasons With The Penguins
Although the Chicago Blackhawks selected him 121st overall in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Shea spent four years developing at Northeastern University before adding three more seasons with the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League.
After that stretch, he earned an opportunity with the Penguins. During the 2023-24 campaign, Shea moved between Pittsburgh and the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
By the following season, he had secured a regular spot on the NHL roster, appearing in 39 games and recording two goals and three assists for five points.
So far in the 150 career NHL games he’s skated in, Shea has scored nine goals with 32 assists.
Oilers’ Ryan Shea Doesn’t Hold Back When Comparing Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby