The Edmonton Oilers have gotten off to an interesting start to the season. Their offence has been elite, defence has been alright, and goaltending has been questionable, to say the least. Plenty of different Oilers have been in the spotlight early on. Owen Michaels has made a solid impact, Devon Levi is getting some NHL reps in, and Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been themselves. However, one player that no one has really talked about this season is Jake Walman.
One would have really hoped that he would have a breakout season with the Oilers, but so far, he has been silent. With Stan Bowman signing him to a big contract last year, is there already a reason to be concerned? In the first year of a seven-year deal, it is not ideal for Walman to stay as a bottom-four defenceman.
A slow start to the season
Throughout the first three games of the year, Walman has been nearly invisible. He has contributed no offence, made questionable defensive plays, and otherwise stayed in the background. The 30-year-old defenceman has been on the ice for a fair number of goals against (like everyone else), but has made no impact for the team. This has started to spread a bit of a rumour that Walman could become the new Darnell Nurse. I do not think that Walman is a bad player, but the slow start is a bit concerning.
One aspect of Walman’s game that I do not like is the lack of urgency. It is so frustrating to watch a player look too calm when making a pass, starting a breakout, or winding up for a shot. It sometimes seems like he believes there is all the time in the world to make plays in the NHL. Now, that is probably just the kind of player he naturally is, but a lot of urgency is needed to make an impact at the NHL level. This is not the season to slack off as an Oiler.
The game in Vancouver was a tough one to watch. However, I do think that Walman can turn it around. Looking at the big picture, the most concerning part is his contract. Quite frankly, Walman has never been a solidified top-four defenceman in any lineup. He has absolutely had great stretches at certain points in his career, but is he worth a 7×7 contract, really? There is no reason to blow the situation out of proportion, but that contract definitely has the chance to age poorly.
Walman’s expectations
There is no doubt that fans had high expectations for Walman when he was originally acquired. Honestly, I think he was a bit overhyped to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, Walman has the ability to be a solid bottom-four defenceman, but I think the expectations were much higher than that. The Oilers would have loved Walman to become a top-four defenceman who can run the second power play unit and post at least 40 points in a season. Unfortunately, I do not think this is likely to happen.
Walman’s career high in points came in 2024–25. This was his breakout season with the San Jose Sharks, where he scored six goals and 32 points before getting traded to Edmonton. Once he arrived in Edmonton, the impact was immediate. Through 15 games, Walman had eight points and continued to produce throughout the run to the Stanley Cup Finals. At this point, it looked like a long-term extension could have been a good idea for Walman.
Last year, Walman took a significant step backwards. He was only held to 53 games and failed to produce as he did the year before. There is no excuse not to produce on a team like the Oilers. The offensive star power is just way too good for anyone to seriously underperform. Going into this season, Walman was expected to get back to being a consistent middle-pairing guy. So far, that certainly has not happened.
What to do now?
Going forward, Walman must be utilized correctly. Maybe he is just getting used to the Mike Babcock system, but a small change needed to be made. It is obvious that the Walman and Mukhamadullin pairing was a disaster, so Walman ended up being paired alongside Ty Emberson for the game against Seattle. This seemed to be a slight improvement, as there was no defensive collapse, and the team only gave up a power play goal.
For the time being, waiting it out might be the best option. It is still so early in the season; lineups can change, and players can make adjustments. This is Walman’s first coaching change as an Oiler, so maybe he just needs some time to adapt to the new systems in place. Now is a good time for that, as the Oilers have hit a slow point in their early schedule.
This week, the team only has two games. Both are on the road against the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks. This is in the midst of the California team’s road trip, which has gotten tougher over the past couple of seasons. All three of the California teams have become potential playoff squads this season. This will be a great chance for a player like Walman to make earlyseason adjustments with little games and a lot of practice time.
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Hopefully, the defenceman can turn it around soon.
Up Next: Edmonton Oilers rumours roundup: Can Devon Levi secure the starting role?
