Welcome Back Ryan Shea; Penguins Add Depth

In one hour’s time, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed three defensemen and made one trade.

The third defenseman was a familiar name and face as president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas signed Ryan Shea to a one-year contract with a $775,000 salary.

After a few years toiling in the Dallas Stars system, Shea had an eye-opening training camp and made his NHL debut on Oct. 21 against the St. Louis Blues. He provided steady, reliable defense on a team that was otherwise struggling to find consistency.

Shea, 27, played 31 NHL games, scoring one goal. He also played 23 games for the Wilke-Barre/Scranton Penguins, scoring six points (2-4-6). The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman has appeared in 186 career AHL games between Texas and WBS, totaling 72 points (12-60-72).

The Massachusetts native also played a couple of seasons for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL before going to Northeastern University.

Shea will provide solid depth on the left side and will likely be the Penguins’ seventh defenseman. Should defenseman Ryan Graves struggle again this season, Shea showed he could fill in for extended periods of time.