On Friday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins brought defenseman Ryan Shea up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team of the American Hockey League. While the official announcement from the team is pending, Shea’s inclusion in the NHL roster is noted on the league’s media website. This move follows defenseman Ryan Graves’ absence due to a concussion, leaving a gap in the lineup.
Shea, in his first year in the NHL, though not considered a rookie due to his age of 27, has played 22 games this season without registering a point, with an average ice time of 12:28 per game. His last NHL appearance was on December 8th. Beginning the season in the NHL, Shea went through waivers on December 19th and has since been moved between the NHL and AHL rosters multiple times.
Standing at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, the left-handed defenseman has played 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, contributing six points (two goals, four assists) this season. Shea, acquired as a free agent in the recent offseason, is signed to a one-year contract worth $775,000 and has the flexibility to play on either side of the defensive pairing.
In a corresponding move, the team quietly reassigned rookie forward Jonathan Gruden to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Gruden, who has been called up to the NHL roster seven times this season, has played 13 games in the NHL, scoring one goal and averaging 8:40 of ice time per game. In his time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the 23-year-old left-handed player, standing at 6-foot, 172 pounds, has appeared in 46 games, tallying 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists). Gruden is under a one-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000.