Penguins Likely to Lose Ryan Shea After His Breakout Season Hits Free Agency

Ryan Shea didn’t exactly light the world on fire when he first hit the NHL. But after a 2023-24 season that saw him play 80 games and put up 35 points, the 29-year-old defenseman is about to cash in. And it probably won’t be in Pittsburgh.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that Shea is generating real interest on the open market. That makes sense. A guy who just turned 29, can play both sides of the blue line, and made less than a million bucks last season? That’s the kind of player teams love to overpay for a little bit.

Shea was a fourth-round pick by Chicago back in 2015. He played college hockey at Northeastern before signing with Dallas in 2020. He never cracked the Stars’ lineup full-time, spending most of his time in the AHL. The Penguins gave him a shot as a free agent before the 2023-24 season, and he made his NHL debut at 27 years old. That’s a late bloomer if there ever was one.

But here’s the thing about late bloomers — they don’t stay cheap forever. Shea made $900,000 last year. His agent, Matt Keator, is looking for a healthy raise. LeBrun noted that Shea could command north of $4 million per season on the open market.

The Penguins are in a weird spot. They just made the playoffs but got bounced in the first round. They have aging stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin still on the roster, but the team is clearly in transition. GM Kyle Dubas has to balance trying to win now with building for the future. Committing big money and long term to a 29-year-old defenseman who just had one good season might not fit that plan.

Shea’s numbers look good on paper — six goals, 29 assists, 80 games. But he wasn’t exactly a shutdown guy. He logged solid minutes and played up and down the pairings. Versatility matters. Teams will pay for it, especially on the blue line where injuries pile up fast.

Expect a few teams to come hard after Shea when free agency opens. The Penguins might try to keep him, but if the price tag climbs past $3.5 million or $4 million, Pittsburgh probably bows out. Dubas has shown he’s willing to let guys walk if the contract doesn’t make sense for the rebuild-on-the-fly plan.

For Shea, it’s a great problem to have. Two years ago he was bouncing around the AHL. Now he’s got leverage. That’s how it works sometimes in this league. One good year changes everything.