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Ryan Shea's newfound confidence earns him a contract extension

The Penguins ink Ryan Shea to a 1 year, $900K contract extension and bring a bit of stability to their blue line. Shea's impact on Kris Letang is also a huge component to his new deal.
ByZane Bloom|
Feb 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) celebrate a goal by Malkin against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) celebrate a goal by Malkin against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As the minutes following the trade deadline ticked down, the Penguins announced a one-year contract extension for defenseman Ryan Shea. The deal extends his contract into the 2025-26 season at a $900K cap hit.

Shea has been getting top pairing minutes with Kris Letang since the Four Nations Faceoff break, and it seems as though he's found a stroke of confidence and a renaissance within his game.

His two goals and three assists this season tell the story of what to expect with his offensive production, but for a Penguins team yearning for steady defensive play, Shea has displayed the upside to provide just that with how he's played these last few weeks.

We were all over Ryan Shea just a few days ago after his incredible showing against the Colorado Avalanche, one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the NHL. You can read up on his production below.

Shea's Impact on Kris Letang

One aspect that wasn't recorded in our previous article was his chemistry with Kris Letang. The Shea-Letang defensive pairing has been the best D-line the Penguins have put out this season.

Additionally, it's taking Kris Letang, who has been a relative liability to the team this year, and making him playable and productive. Their pairing has a 66.7% goal share in limited minutes, a positive output in NHL comparisons, but incredibly positive when considering the Penguins' defensive situation.

Shea's Corsi% this season is over 51%, a number that suggests average production and possession when he is on the ice. While Shea isn't necessarily creating goals, he's preventing them, which is the most important thing for the Penguins at this juncture.

This extension is very low-risk, high reward. At worst, you have an extra year on an average player. At best, you could get the best out of the 28 year-old as he seems to have a newfound stroke of confidence in himself.

This is well deserved for Shea, and Penguins fans should be pleased at keeping him around for at least another year.

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