All across the NHL this preseason, there have been an alarming influx of injuries to teams’ critical players. The Edmonton Oilers are no exception to this trend, as they have been missing some members of the team at times in training camp. Jake Walman has missed most of the preseason due to an injury, as has Mattias Janmark.
Originally, the expectation was that Walman would be good to go for opening night on Wednesday, he was being kept out as a precaution. Janmark was announced to have suffered an undisclosed injury late last week and would miss the first game of the season against the Calgary Flames. Sunday afternoon, we were provided with an update on the status of both players.
What will the impact of Jake Walman’s potential absence be?
Walman’s absence will leave a massive hole in the lineup, if he is not ready for Wednesday. He was slotted in on the second defence pair alongside Darnell Nurse, which has historically been a difficult role in the lineup. Although there is a chance he plays still, with it being the first game of the season, there is no reason to rush him back and risk making the injury worse. It would be better to give him the time to recover fully, especially since the Oilers have two days off after games one and two of the season to help prolong recovery opportunities.
In Walman’s absence, we got a sneak preview of what to expect in his place, if he were to miss Wednesday’s game.
Alec Regula has played exceptionally well in this preseason, especially considering he missed the entirety of the 2024–25 season due to injury. His placement here first suggests that the team does have trust in his game and that pairing, though he could also just be there as a placeholder if they expect Walman to be ready to go. Regardless, there has been a tight battle between Regula, Ty Emberson, and Troy Stecher for these final defence spots and they could all potentially make the team for the first game of the sesason.
What will the Oilers do in Mattias Janmark’s absence?
Janmark is definitely out of the lineup for at least the first few games of the season. Luckily, the forward depth has been improved to a point there are some players who can easily step in. Training camp has been competitive as well, to the team’s benefit.
Janmark likely would have been on the fourth line, ideally at wing but he has been played at centre more and more as time goes on. The bottom six forwards are a bit of a mess in morning skate today, but an exceptional preseason from Noah Philp has seemingly solidified his place in the opening day lineup over Curtis Lazar in Janmark’s absence.
