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Oilers Reportedly Making Progress on Big Contract Extension
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Edmonton Oilers fell in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season, sending the franchise into a tough offseason. The Oilers believed that last season was the year that they would bring home the title, but again, they fell short of the goal.

As the team entered the offseason, much of the talk has been around the impending free agency of star Connor McDavid. McDavid will be entering the season on the final year of his current contract, and there have been all sorts of rumors flying around about him leaving.

But the Oilers also have other players whom the front office needs to take care of. And it seems that the team may be getting close to locking up a key piece to the puzzle.

Oilers Working on Contract Extension

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the Oilers have started to make progress on an extension with defenseman Jake Walman. Seravalli believes that it will be a long-term contract for the defender from Edmonton.

Walman joined Edmonton last season but was limited to just 15 games with the team. The veteran was acquired by the Oilers at the trade deadline last season from the San Jose Sharks.

In his time with Edmonton, Walman scored one goal and had seven assists. In the postseason, Walman put up two goals and eight assists in the 22 games played.

Walman was part of the revamped Oilers defense, and the team seems to believe that he can be part of the long-term future of the roster. While this isn't the extension news that Oilers fans want to hear about, securing players like Walman can make a big difference in how successful this team really is going forward.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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