What’s wrong with Edmonton Oilers defenceman Jake Walman? The Oilers acquired him ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline for a conditional 2026 first-round pick. He was a fantastic addition to bolster Edmonton’s blue line. He was a perfect fit and was an instrumental part of their playoff run, while providing much-needed stability on the back end.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case this season. He missed 29 games due to injury, and he hasn’t been the same since. His play has been extremely disappointing, and that’s concerning moving forward. His new contract extension hasn’t started yet, and it already looks like a questionable decision.
The Oilers’ blueliner inked a seven-year contract extension with a $7 million cap hit beginning next season. The front office hasn’t learned from previous mistakes. He has a full no-movement clause for the first four seasons, before it becomes a modified 15-team no-trade list. These clauses continue to be handed out like Halloween candy, which hinders management’s ability to make trades.
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The 30-year-old blueliner will be 37 when this deal is over, so this contract might not age well, especially if this level of play continues into the following seasons. Fans should be concerned about that possibility. We don’t need another Darnell Nurse situation on our hands. The Oilers can’t afford to have another overpaid and underperforming blueliner during the Connor McDavid era; that will close the Stanley Cup window immediately. We’d better hope Walman’s play improves, because if it doesn’t, the Oilers will have another awful contract on the books.
Injuries Aren’t an Excuse
While Walman has been banged up this season, fans shouldn’t blame injuries on his brutal play. That’s a cop-out excuse and shouldn’t be used to excuse poor performance. That’s a common excuse for the better players on the team. When McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have disappointing games, people are quick to say, “Well, they must be injured.” It’s okay to hold players accountable and admit that they played poorly. Walman’s struggles are mainly due to poor decision-making. He still has a lethal shot, but he’s making too many mental mistakes, which are costing his team, and that’s not because of his recent injury. He’s making preventable mistakes, and he must be better.
Walman’s Numbers Are Bad
Walman has registered eight goals and 18 points in 35 games this season, averaging 19:44 per game. He has scored some big goals, including an overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 21, his first game of the season. He also had a two-goal game against the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 26. On the surface, that offensive production seems solid considering his limited games. However, the advanced numbers suggest otherwise, as does the eye test.
The Toronto native has had a miserable defensive season. He has played 601:31 at 5-on-5, and the numbers aren’t pretty. When he’s on the ice, the Oilers have 46.11 percent of the expected goals for and only 43.02 percent of the scoring chances, including 44.49 percent of the high-danger scoring chances. His high-danger goals for percentage is also a measly 37.50. That means that the Oilers aren’t generating much quality offence when he’s on the ice. Any number below 50 percent is underwhelming, and he’s below that threshold in all those important metrics.
To put that into perspective, when they acquired Walman last season, his high-danger goals for percentage was 61.54 percent. His expected goals for percentage was 54.88, his scoring chance percentage was 54.04, and his high-danger scoring chance percentage was 54.21. His numbers were good after his acquisition, but they have completely cratered since, and that’s alarming.
The eye test also backs up these stats. Walman has struggled to move the puck up the ice and has made some dreadful turnovers. In the last game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday (March 8), he wasn’t skating well and couldn’t handle the forecheck. He got drilled numerous times behind the net trying to break the puck out because he wasn’t making quick decisions.
Walman hasn’t been good all season, and he has yet to find his game. The Oilers need him to step up because if he doesn’t, they’re in trouble, not just for this season, but for the duration of his contract.
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