Oilers’ Ryan Shea Has Quickly Become Team’s Number Two Defender

The Edmonton Oilers’ top defenceman has long been Evan Bouchard, a Norris Trophy candidate and league-wide star. The role of second-best defender on the team has been a revolving door the past couple seasons, being filled by different guys who get on hot streaks throughout the season. The blue line has been overall a solid unit to start 2026-27, and it’s in large part to free agent addition Ryan Shea, who I believe has very quickly assumed the role of number two defenceman on the team.

Shea was signed to a five-year deal worth $4 million annually back in July after a career-best season with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2025-26. It seemed like a bit of a gamble at the time, given Shea’s short professional resume, but I think the early returns are promising. The Oilers’ defence core is strong, but he has emerged as a difference-maker in more than one way and will be a vital piece to the team moving forward.

Increased Responsibility

One of the reasons Shea has been able to flourish is because he is seeing his responsibilities and ice time steadily rise as the season progresses, putting him in better spots to showcase his talent. He is currently averaging over 23 minutes of ice time per game, a career-high and third-best on the team behind Connor McDavid and Bouchard.

Shea is also filling a key role as other defenders take a (hopefully temporary) step back. Mattias Ekholm is 36 years old and isn’t quite the same player he was a couple seasons ago, and Jake Walman is having a slow start to the season. These players have been the high-leverage guys for Edmonton in the past, but now Shea can take on an elevated role. Ekholm and Walman can still be elite players, but head coach Mike Babcock will have more options in different situations.

One situation that has really benefited the team is giving Shea time on the penalty kill. Despite Edmonton’s struggles in that department, Shea has utilized his skills and given the team a fighting chance while down a man. He has a relative Corsi for percentage while shorthanded of 5.5, which is fourth best on the team. His ability to move the puck and block shots has really come in handy.

Shea Has Been Great Anywhere With Anyone

Shea’s numbers on defence are very solid so far this season. Despite seeing some of the highest volume of shots per game while on the ice, he has just a minus-1 rating and averages 1.5 blocks per game, which is second on the team. He is stellar under pressure and at maintaining control in his own end. He has added one goal and five points in 19 games, which really became a part of his game last season when he recorded 35 points.

He has also proved to be able to play well with any of the team’s top guys. He has played the most with Connor Murphy, another defensive-minded blueliner, and they’ve recorded an expected goals for of 7.3, which is second-best among pairings on the team. The duo that has really intrigued me is Shea and Bouchard, who have only spent a little over 50 minutes together, but have turned in very positive results.

The pair has an expected goals percentage of 71.4, and an expected goals against rating of just 1.4. I think the dynamic of a defence-first Shea and offensive juggernaut Bouchard could be lethal for the Oilers and should be experimented with more. Shea is clearly the number two now, so trying the top two guys together and giving them the most minutes could be beneficial in the long run.

Shea has been good in all phases of the game. The team’s most recent game against the New York Rangers really showed how he can play tight and close out a game. He took a tough penalty late in the game, but made crucial plays leading up to that to keep the team ahead and secure victory. He will be a huge piece of the defence moving forward, and I think his role will continue to increase.