The Edmonton Oilers signed free-agent defenseman Ryan Shea to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $4 million, the team announced.
Shea set career highs in games played (80), points (35), and average ice time (18:53) with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. His arrival in Edmonton rounds out a defensive corps that also features Evan Bouchard, Jake Walman, Connor Murphy, Mattias Ekholm, and Ty Emberson.
The Oilers traded Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks earlier Wednesday, ending the blue-liners' 12-year tenure with the club.
Shea, 29, was a fourth-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. He made his NHL debut with the Penguins during the 2023-24 season and has 150 NHL games under his belt.
The Oilers have approximately $11.9 million in cap space to continue making roster changes, according to PuckPedia. Edmonton is facing a pivotal offseason after losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Anaheim Ducks. The club fired head coach Kris Knoblauch in the aftermath and brought in Mike Babcock as his replacement.
