The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled defenseman Ryan Shea from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League under emergency roster conditions on Friday afternoon.
While the team has yet to announce the transaction, Shea’s presence on the NHL roster is reflected on the league’s media Web site. His recall comes in the wake of incumbent defenseman Ryan Graves being sidelined indefinitely due to a concussion.
A first-year NHLer who does not qualify for rookie status based on his age (27), Shea has appeared in 22 NHL games this season and has yet to record a point while averaging 12:28 of ice time per contest. His most recent NHL game came on Dec. 8.
After opening the season on the NHL roster, Shea cleared waivers on Dec. 19 and has been shuffled between the NHL and AHL roster multiple times.
The left-handed Shea (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) has appeared in 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season and has posted six points (two goals, four assists).
A free agent addition this past offseason, Shea, who is capable of playing either side of a defensive pairing, is signed to a one-year contract worth $775,000.
In a corresponding transaction, the team quietly assigned rookie forward Jonathan Gruden to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Gruden has been recalled to the NHL roster on seven different occasions this season. In 13 NHL games, Gruden has one goal while averaging 8:40 of ice time per contest.
With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Gruden (6-foot, 172 pounds) has played in 46 games and scored 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists).
The left-handed Gruden, 23, is signed to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a salary cap hit of $775,000.
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