Oilers activate Jake Walman from injured reserve

Walman has not played a game this season due to an undisclosed injury. He wasn’t in the lineup for when the Oilers opened the 2025-26 season against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 8, and was placed on IR the following day. The 29-year-old’s absence opened the door for the team to insert the newly-signed Jack Roslovic immediately into the lineup after signing a one-year deal earlier this month.

There were reports that Walman might’ve been able to get into some game action earlier in Edmonton’s five-game road trip through a portion of the Eastern Conference, but that obviously never came to fruition. The Armour Heights, Ont. native couldn’t return to the lineup at a better time. The Oilers have dropped three straight games, including a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Walman’s game will provide stability for Edmonton, with the potential of him adding some offensive punch.

Walman’s placement on IR came just days after he signed a seven-year contract extension. The deal, which kicks in next year, will carry an AAV of $7 million through the 2032-33 season. It’s a nice little pay bump for Walman, who is heading into the final season of his three-year contract that he signed with the Red Wings in February 2023. The deal has a cap hit of $3.4 million. The new contract provides a little security for Walman. In his NHL career, he has never signed a contract longer than three years.

Walman came to Edmonton last season after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks. In 15 games with the Oilers near the end of the regular season, Walman scored a goal and seven assists for eight points, giving him a career-high 40 points in 65 games on the year. In the playoffs, the 29-year-old delivered two goals and eight assists for 10 points, posting a plus/minus of +9 while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game.

In 267 regular-season games in the NHL, Walman has scored 32 goals and 59 assists for 91 points.

The Oilers (2-3-1) wrap up their road trip on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.