With just over a week under one belt and a full week under another, Max Jones and Jake Walman, who are two of the Edmonton Oilers newest players added at the deadline, have now played five games a piece wearing an Oilers uniform.
Although these are very short stints of hockey for these two players, it’s time to do a quick check in and see where each player is at in their tenure as an Edmonton Oiler.
There really isn’t too much to discuss, so I’ll be looking at one key area of each player’s game, and how the team has benefited from that aspect. I’ll also discuss one area of their game, that the Oilers would like to see improve, to benefit the success of the team before the start of the post season.
Max Jones’ impact on the team
After being listed as a healthy scratch for March 14’s win on Long Island in OT, Max Jones was back in action last Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. Jones was only back in the lineup as Zach Hyman was a game time decision, but ultimately out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury.
Here is one aspect of his game that Jones has done right for the Oilers so far, and one piece that the team would like to see him improve on:
Not afraid to be physical
Max Jones has definitely shown the Edmonton Oilers that he is not afraid to be physical, shift in and shift out. With 13 hits and four penalty minutes, Jones is definitely capable of showing the other teams who they shouldn’t mess with. Jones hasn’t been in an NHL fight yet, but has made his presence known whenever he steps onto the ice.
Show a bit more offensively
Playing on the wing, I’m sure that the Oilers organization and their fans as well, would like to see Jones start to produce more offensively. The more depth scoring that an NHL team is able to bring to their lineup, the better that they become as a whole. This is an aspect of the game that Jones needs to bring for the Oilers.
If Jones is able to start producing offence for the Oilers as a bottom-six guy, that is sure to make them a deeper team and harder to play against. Right now, the Oilers are lacking depth scoring, and it’s the perfect opportunity for Jones to write his own story and impress the team by producing goals and assists offensively. As a bottom-six player, Jones doesn’t get a lot of ice time, and is only averaging 8:06 per game. When Jones gets his shifts, he needs to prove that he can bring some offence and show the Oilers that he deserves playoff minutes.
Although Jones probably won’t be rostered for the Oilers in the playoffs, he needs to put in some work in the offseason to play his way onto the fourth line. Jones needs to show the team that he can be a meaningful player and one they can trust to bring grit and offence to their game.
Jake Walman has been an excellent add
Jake Walman on the other hand, has not missed a game and has definitely deserved it. Walman has played all but one of his games as an Edmonton Oiler, being a top-pairing defender. In his first game on Saturday March 8 against the Dallas Stars, Walman played on the third line alongside Troy Stecher. That definitely didn’t last long though, as in the very next game, Walman was placed on the first line with Evan Bouchard.
Stellar start in Texas
With a +3 rating, one assist, three shots, two hits, and three blocks, Jake Walman had a stellar first start for Edmonton. Moving into a new organization can be daunting, especially in a Canadian market, but Walman seemed to fit into the Oilers system right away. With Walman playing a cup contending team like the Dallas Stars in his very first game, he’s bound to have some high expectations on his shoulders and his work definitely cut out for him.
Walman showed the staff and his teammates, that he can play great hockey against top tier teams. His first point as an Oiler was a beauty when he chipped the puck up and over the Dallas defenders, right to Zach Hyman for a breakaway who made no mistake. Another highlight of the night, was when Walman made a huge open ice hit against Dallas’ newest addition in Mikko Rantanen.
Don’t be afraid to play aggressively
At 6’1”, Walman is a pretty big body on the Oilers blue line. He has already been quite impressive as an Oiler in such a short amount of time, but one thing the team would like to see from Walman, is him playing more aggressively and using his size to his advantage.
Walman is the type of player that can win puck battles, along the wall or not, and forecheck hard to put pressure on the opposing players. Being able to force passes and create turnovers is the type of play that the Oilers could use more of from Walman.
With two points, two assists, a +4 rating, 12 shots, five hits, 14 blocks, zero penalty minutes, and an average of 22:21 time on ice per game, Walman already has a decent stat line as an Oiler. With six giveaways and two takeaways, the Oilers staff probably want to see those two numbers swapped.
Walman has shown us already, and is definitely capable of bringing more offence to the Edmonton blue line. Defence wins hockey games, but when a player is able to bring more offence as well, the team has a way better chance of winning even more games.
Grading the new guys
To finish off this article, I am going to give my ranking of each player, even though they have both only played five games as an Edmonton Oiler.
Max Jones: C-
Jake Walman: B
Did I get my rankings correct? What are your thoughts on each player so far? Let us know in the comments below.
Follow The Oil Rig on social media!
I don’t think Jones has been given a fair chance to play with better players, he’s big, can skate,and hits which nobody does in the bottom 6… give him a descent chance.✌️