Oilers reportedly sign Jake Walman to seven-year contract extension

The Oilers acquired Walman from the San Jose Sharks ahead of last season’s trade deadline in exchange for the team’s first-round pick in the 2026 draft and minor-leaguer Carl Berglund.

The puck-moving defender fit in nicely on Edmonton’s blueline, scoring eight points in 15 regular-season games while logging 21:26 per night. In his first real taste of NHL playoff action in the spring, Walman scored 10 points with a plus-nine rating over 22 games for the Oilers.

Selected by the Blues in the third round of the 2014 draft, Walman played three seasons with Providence College and four in the American Hockey League before breaking through with St. Louis during the latter part of the 2021-22 season. The following year, as Walman was establishing himself as an NHL defender, he was moved to Detroit in exchange for veteran Nick Leddy.

Walman took on a larger role with the rebuilding Red Wings, and his ice time and production both increased. During his first full season with the club in 2022-23, the Toronto native signed a three-year extension worth $3.4 million annually.

After setting a career-high with 12 goals and 21 points in 2023-24, Detroit surprisingly traded Walman to San Jose along with a draft pick for future considerations. With the Sharks, Walman again took on a larger role, scoring 32 points over 50 games while averaging 23:11 per night before getting flipped to Edmonton.

During his 15 regular-season games and 22 playoff games with the Oilers, Walman showed that he’s a versatile defender capable of playing with different partners. He moves the puck effectively, can comfortably play both the left and right sides, and contributes at both ends of the ice.

Heading into the 2025-26 season, Walman figures to play on the right side of the second defensive pairing alongside Darnell Nurse. Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard have been the top pairing in Edmonton for the past few years, but we could see Walman take on top-pairing minutes if the 35-year-old Ekholm needs to be moved down the depth chart.