OilersNation has reported:

Ryan Shea has made an early impact for the Edmonton Oilers, contributing at both ends of the ice as the team opened the season with four straight wins. The defenceman has recorded a goal and three assists through five games, all at even strength, while earning substantial playing time in multiple situations. His start has come amid a busy stretch for the Oilers, with offensive bursts, defensive lapses and injuries alongside strong performances from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard.

Edmonton signed Shea as a free agent on July 1, giving him a five-year contract worth $20 million. General manager Stan Bowman had drafted him 121st overall in 2015, when Bowman was with Chicago, and was familiar with his potential. Shea arrived after a long route to becoming an established NHL player, with his first full season in the league coming only last year.

When Shea left college, he was regarded as an offensively minded, puck-moving defenceman. In his final year at Northeastern, he produced nearly a point per game. Scouts at the time also identified areas he needed to improve: his defensive game and his strength for the demands of professional hockey.

Chicago did not sign Shea after drafting him. Following college, he joined the Dallas Stars organization and spent two seasons with their American Hockey League affiliate. He made his NHL debut at age 26 with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023, then spent a couple of seasons moving between Pittsburgh and its AHL affiliate, the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Shea secured a regular NHL place last season, playing 80 games and recording 35 points. That season earned him a significant raise from his previous contract and more term when he signed with Edmonton. Though he had only one full NHL season behind him, he was a six-year professional when the Oilers brought him in, rather than a young, untested prospect.

The Oilers signed Shea in part to try to fill Darnell Nurse’s place in the lineup. Nurse had been a major presence in Edmonton, and Bob Stauffer described him as “a great Oiler who left some big shoes to fill.” Shea’s straightforward, dependable style offered the team a player who could take on the role without a large perceived downside, even as questions remained about how he would adjust to a new team.

Through the first five games, Shea has continued the steady form he showed last season. He has defended reliably and contributed to the offence, matching what Edmonton sought when it signed him. Among Oilers skaters, he ranks third in average time on ice, behind only Bouchard and McDavid. He also leads the team with 165 shifts, 16 more than any other player on the roster.

His workload reflects his use across different situations. Shea has played on the second power-play unit and on the penalty kill, while also handling minutes at five-on-five. The offensive production and power-play time add value, but his defensive reliability and ability to absorb even-strength minutes are central to his role on the Oilers’ back end.

Numbers from Natural Stat Trick also show positive early results. Shea’s expected goals-for percentage, or xGF%, is 53.35 per cent, a couple of percentage points higher than his figure last season and above Edmonton’s team average so far this year. His expected goals against per 60 minutes, or xGA/60, is 1.83 through five games, nearly one goal lower than last season.

Shea has faced some of the opposition’s stronger offensive players, making the early xGA/60 figure notable in the context of his deployment. His goals for and goals against per 60 minutes are both better than the Oilers’ team averages. Edmonton has also generated more high-danger scoring chances than it has allowed while he has been on the ice, according to the source’s account of the available figures.

His performance has not been without a difficult moment. In overtime of Edmonton’s first game, Shea lost a board battle that ultimately led to Paul Cotter’s winning goal. In the games since, his more visible contributions have included disrupting attacks, knocking down opposing passes and moving the puck quickly to help create chances and goals.

Two nights after the opener, Shea scored his first goal of the season in Edmonton’s 9-7 win against the Vancouver Canucks. He found space through the middle of the offensive zone to score. His game has also included quieter shifts, when he has stayed in position and made simple plays without drawing attention.

Shea is 29, but his relatively brief NHL career leaves room for him to continue establishing himself. The early combination of dependable defence, offensive contributions and a heavy workload suggests he can become a fixture on Edmonton’s blue line and play an important role in the team’s success this season.

The Oilers’ four-game winning streak has offered fans reasons for optimism, though the team’s start has included both high-scoring performances and defensive concerns. McDavid and Bouchard have received much of the attention for their hot starts, while Shea’s work has been less prominent. His first five games have put him among the team’s most-used players and supplied evidence that he can contribute consistently in the role Edmonton brought him in to fill.