Penguins A to Z: Ryan Shea found a way to the NHL

With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 52 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from fourth-line center Noel Acciari to reserve winger Radim Zohorna.

This series is scheduled to be published every day leading into the second day of the NHL Draft on June 29.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Cap Friendly.)

Ryan Shea

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 27

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 200 pounds

2023-24 NHL statistics: 31 games, one point (one goal, zero assists), 12:37 of average ice time per game

2023-24 AHL statistics: 23 games, six points (two goals, four assists)

2023-24 AHL postseason statistics: Two games, zero points (zero goals, zero assists)

Contract: Signed to a one-year contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000. Pending unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.

Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, July 1, 2023

This season: President of hockey operations Kyle Dubas’ first offseason with the Penguins had some mixed results.

There were successful additions such as forward Lars Eller and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. And there were clear misses like defenseman Ryan Graves and forward Reilly Smith.

Ryan Shea was decidedly in the former category.

A fourth-round pick (No. 121) in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Shea never signed with that club and then languished for three seasons in the Dallas Stars’ system, never rising above the American Hockey League level.

Someone on Dubas’ staff saw something they liked in Shea’s otherwise unremarkable tenure with the Stars and campaigned for the team to extend a one-year, one-way contract to him and that modest investment bore positive results.

After impressing coaches in training camp, Shea somewhat surprisingly made the NHL roster out of training camp.

A healthy scratch for the first four games of the regular season, Shea got into the lineup on the third pairing by Oct. 21 and remained there for 22 consecutive games, including a handful of occasions on the right side.

By mid-December, Shea’s play had slipped a bit and he was once again a healthy scratch. After clearing waivers on Dec. 19, he was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to get some playing time.

Throughout late December and all of January, Shea bounced between the NHL and AHL rosters with his only games coming with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, primarily deployed on the left side of the top pairing.

Following an assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 28, Shea remained with that team for the better part of six weeks. Working the left side of the second pairing, Shea established some consistency with right-hander Jack St. Ivany. His first goal of the season came during that stretch in a 5-3 road loss to the Rochester Americans on Feb. 16.

Will the Real Slim Sheazy please stand up??!

What a shot for Ryan Shea's first goal as a Pen ???? pic.twitter.com/i632gnUI2C

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 17, 2024

Shea was recalled under emergency roster conditions three times in March and finally rejoined the NHL lineup on April 1. With Ryan Graves sidelined due to a concussion, Shea and St. Ivany were reunited, this time on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ third pairing.

In the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ final nine games of the season, Shea played a small role in the team’s furious but futile late-season push for a playoff spot. During that stretch, he scored the opening goal — and his first career NHL goal — in a 4-1 road win against the rival Washington Capitals on April 4.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Ryan Shea with 18:11 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Reilly Smith and Lars Eller.

Washington: 0
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsWSH #ALLCAPS #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/4Lya2SdOVf

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 4, 2024

Shea cleared waivers again April 19 and was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to finish out the season. During Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s brief two-game postseason run, Shea and St. Ivany served as the team’s top pairing.

The future: Shea is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Presumably, it wouldn’t require much term or money to re-sign him which makes it somewhat curious as to why management hasn’t yet gotten his signature on a new deal.

His game is hardly spectacular but reliably steady. He makes the safe, by-the-book play and even offers some versatility in being able to play the right side. Even if he is middle-aged by NHL standards, he is a perfectly fine option as a No. 7 defenseman.

Utilizing those attributes, Shea found a way to reach the NHL.

Follow the Penguins all season long.