For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the offseason started way too early for everyone’s liking.
And reserve defenseman Ryan Shea is no different in that regard.
But this summer will offer him a somewhat unique emotion.
Relief.
On March 7, the Penguins signed Shea to a one-year contract extension through the 2025-26 season with a salary cap hit of $900,000.
For a journeyman defenseman with only 70 NHL games on his resume, the seemingly mundane banality of knowing where he’ll be going into the summer is the height of luxury.
If he had not signed that extension, he would have been an unrestricted free agent July 1.
“The (previous) summers have been a little bit of anxiety going into free agency every year, not knowing where you’re going to go, talking to other teams and just going through that,” Shea said during his team’s season-ending interviews on April 18. “Now, it’s a weight off my shoulder. I go into the summer, I know where I’m going to be. I know what I have to do. It’s definitely a change (professionally), but I don’t think my mindset will ever change. You’ve got to come with the right mindset going into camp.
“I don’t think money is a big motivation for me. I just want to play a role and make a difference on this team. The best feeling in the world is knowing you’ve played a good hockey game and helped the team win.”
The Penguins did not win nearly enough in 2024-25 — as evidenced by their lack of participation in the ongoing postseason — and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas expressed a desire to fix considerable problems on the left side of the blue line during his season-ending press conference April 21.
Presumably, the left-handed Shea can be part of that solution, albeit in a limited role.
The 2024-25 campaign was Shea’s second in the NHL and he enjoyed some modest career highs with 39 games and five points (two goals, three assists).
Ryan Shea - Pittsburgh Penguins (3) pic.twitter.com/d2gVdUDYez
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) March 2, 2025
“I definitely think it’s trending the right way, just where I want my career to be,” Shea said. “Obviously, coming back here for a second year, it’s easy to get comfortable here and once you are, you’re comfortable around the guys, coaching staff and they know your game. That’s when I really excel. I’m very happy about the progress I made from last season to this season, just confidence-wise.”
Shea’s confidence was given a bit of a boost in late February when he was placed on the left side of the top pairing next to All-Star Kris Letang. But a finger injury on his left hand brought that assignment to a halt throughout most of March.
Once healthy, he primarily manned the third pairing for the final nine games of the regular season.
“The finger is fine,” said Shea, who missed seven games due to the ailment. “Obviously, it came at a tough time when I was probably playing my best hockey. But everyone is going to face adversity like that. I was able to come back and get (nine) games to end the season. I think I ended on a good note.”
While he is a southpaw, he actually started more games on the right side (27) than the left side (12) this past season.
That versatility can only help Shea’s case for being a more regular presence on the ice (and potentially getting another contract).
“I’ve always said I’ll do anything to be in the lineup,” Shea said. “I’m happy the coaches do that because for my career, now everyone can see I can play both sides. It’s great. I definitely think my best games came on my left. But the right side, just getting comfortable with that, it just gives the coaches another avenue that when they have to, when they get in a pinch, they (say), ‘Oh, we can put him on the right side.’ It’s just another advantage for me.
“Next year, wherever they have me during camp, I’ve got to focus on the role and play it.”