FEATURE: Walman's desire & skillset a perfect long-term fit

EDMONTON, AB – Jake Walman wound up exactly where he’s always wanted to be.

He didn’t necessarily know it was going to be Edmonton, but after being traded three times in four seasons – playing for the Blues, the Red Wings, the Sharks and now the Oilers – the 29-year-old quickly came to understand that Oil Country had everything he was looking for in a long-term NHL home.

“Only people in my close circle would know the battles that they put you through, and for whatever reason, things happen, and I’m fortunate to be in this position,” Walman said. “I don't want to be anywhere else.

"I think I'm meant to be here.”

The Oilers couldn’t agree more, signing Walman to a seven-year contract extension on Monday worth an average annual value of $7 million after showing their desire to acquire the left-shot defenceman at the 2025 trade deadline by offering San Jose a 2026 first-round pick and prospect Carl Berglund.

Upon arrival, Walman became an impactful and versatile contributor on the Edmonton blueline, recording a goal and seven assists with a plus-5 rating in 15 regular-season games and a further two goals and eight assists and a plus-10 rating in 22 post-season contests in 2024-25.

The 6-foot-1, 218-pound defenceman owns the ability to play his offside as a left-shot defenceman, and his energetic playstyle and strong offensive instincts have made him a welcome addition to the blueline for a competitive Oilers team with ambitions of getting back to a third straight Stanley Cup Final.

“It's been great since he came in,” said Connor McDavid, who made his own commitment alongside Walman by signing his own two-year extension on Monday. “Obviously, he’s fit in really well. It’s a tough ask to play your off side, and he obviously has the ability to do that, which is important. He moves well, he's a big body, shoots well and plays with a ton of emotion, which is always a good thing. It’s nice to have him locked up for a long time. He's a big piece.”

Walman is excited to finally be a contributor on a team competing for the Stanley Cup in Edmonton after bouncing around the last few seasons in the NHL.

After being drafted in the third round by the Blues at the 2014 NHL Draft, he spent parts of three seasons in both St. Louis and Detroit before being offloaded to San Jose last year with a second-round draft pick for future considerations.

With the Sharks, he outperformed that valuation with six goals and 26 assists in 63 games, drawing attention from the Oilers as their top trade deadline target while having an extra year on his contract at $3.4 million, meaning he'd be much more of a key piece to this team rather than just being a rental.

Almost immediately, Walman's desire to be sought after for his skill set by a Stanley Cup contender was met after he received texts from the game's two best players – Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – who had both trained with him in the offseason and welcomed him with open arms to the Oilers.

He felt the energy of Oil Country when he stepped on the ice for the first time in Blue & Orange on Mar. 8 at Rogers Place against the Dallas Stars, recording a terrific assist to Zach Hyman in the second period and going plus-3 in 24:40 of ice time during his debut in a 5-4 win.

From the onset of his arrival in Edmonton, Walman was comfortable with the Oilers coaching staff's assignment to play his off side, which allowed him the peace of mind to just go out and play his own game.

"I guess the biggest thing is I don't have to do too much. I just have to be myself," he said. "And we've got such a great group here – not just on the ice, but off the ice. It's great leaders top to bottom, and I can just be myself. I just have to fit in and not be something I'm not, and all the support here really makes it easy to go out there and play."

His versatile role exposed him to a wide range of different D partners early on, and his addition to the Edmonton blueline has led to some extra chemistry being developed, making them a stronger unit that can make adjustments when necessary.

"Most importantly, we all work well together," Walman said. "And playoffs last year, when I got here, we kind of mixed up lines and found out that guys can play with anybody if we need a change-up. So the structure works really well. Everybody falls into place where they can play, and if we need a switch here and there, those guys can step into roles wherever needed."

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said that he didn't know much about Walman other than his reputation as an offensive defenceman before he arrived, but he became really impressed with his commitment to defending by blocking shots and doing all the little things right that are needed to win the Stanley Cup.

"Those are defencemen that you need to have success," he said. "We want puck movers, we want guys who can help score, but we also need them to be able to defend. It's in their job description. So he's been a great addition to our team and hopefully, he'll fit in well for the remainder of his contract."

The Oilers were a team that valued Walman, and in turn, he quickly realized that Edmonton was a place he'd been hoping to land long-term.

"I've always wanted to be in a place where you're wanted, and I just felt from the fans in the city that they want to win, and I want to win, too. I want to be here," Walman said.

"Stuff changes quick, but kind of right when I got here, just the feeling of it being a team, and it really is a team from top to bottom – the leadership, the way that the staff treats us, management, coaches, players – we have the support of a city that wants this team to do well and loves this team, and I want nothing more than being a part of this."