Shea has been a regular in the lineup for the Penguins this season but has been a healthy scratch for the last three games. His placement on unconditional waivers coincides with Chad Ruhwedel preparing to return to the Penguins lineup and Pierre-Olivier Joseph returning last week.
Pierre-Olivier Joseph will re-enter the lineup after a brief conditioning stint with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), as Shea will watch the game from the press box as a healthy scratch. Shea has zero points in 22 games this season, averaging 12:28 time-on-ice.
Shea had seven goals, 21 assists, 36 PIMs and a +37 plus/minus through 70 games with the Texas Stars (AHL) and has signed a one-year, one-way $775,00 contract with Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old was drafted by Chicago in 2015 in the fourth-round (121st overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut despite his constant success at the AHL level.
Shea was a fourth-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2015 and signed with the Stars in 2020. He spent the last two seasons in Texas (AHL), where he had three goals and 35 assists (38 points) in 93 games combined.
