You might get a better response over on the Shrubs Forum. This one is very slow.

I am in the NC mountains, zone 6. I suspect your winters are even colder and as windy as ours. My experience with planting evergreens in the fall is kind of iffy. To answer your question though, If you want flowering shrubs oak leaf hydrangeas and rhododendrons are showy and dependable. I recently transplanted some rhododendrons, but I had to move them out of harms way. Given a choice, I would wait til spring.

Kerria japonica

Fothergilla

Clethra alnifolia

Itea virginica

Pieris japonica

Ilex crenata (inconspicuous flowers)

oakleaf or annabelle hydrangeas

mountain laurel (Kalmia) and rhodies and azaleas (best in light shade)

Agree all would be best planted in spring.