Jake Walman’s 2025-26 season never really got a clean run, and the numbers show it. He finished with eight goals and 20 points in 53 games, and his minus-17 rating was second-worst on the Oilers behind Andrew Mangiapane. For a player carrying a $49 million commitment from 2026-27 through 2032-33, Edmonton needs a much better year from him next season.
The encouraging part is that there were flashes, even in a season interrupted by injury. Walman missed the first six games, then came back on Oct. 21 in the Nation’s Capital and marked his season debut with an overtime winner.
In his first 16 games, he posted three goals and 10 points while sitting at minus-3. A lot of that early work came on his off-side, where he spent most of his five-on-five minutes beside Darnell Nurse, and the results weren’t great.
Then came another setback. On Nov. 20 in Tampa Bay, Walman blocked a shot, left after just over 10 minutes, and didn’t return for nearly two months because of a deep bone bruise. Once he was back on Jan. 13, 2026, he added five goals and 10 points over his next 36 games.
There was at least one pairing that worked reasonably well. When Walman and Nurse shared the ice, they owned 51.46 per cent of the expected goal share. By contrast, Walman had a tougher time alongside Ty Emberson, even though he was on the left side.
The regular season was a disappointment, but the postseason offered a different picture. Walman was Edmonton’s best defenceman in the playoffs and collected four assists in the brief run. Two of those came in Game 1 against the Ducks, both on stretch passes that stood out immediately.
That puck-moving ability matters for what comes next. With Darnell Nurse gone, Walman should get to play on the left side, and the Oilers now have three defencemen who can help move the puck at an above-average level: Evan Bouchard on the first pair, plus Walman and Ryan Shea. The remaining question is who lines up with Walman, with Emberson or Connor Murphy still to be determined.
There’s also a clear reason to believe in a rebound: Walman has done this before. His breakout came in 2022-23 with the Detroit Red Wings, a team the author says was watched often.
Next to Bouchard, Walman’s shot is the best among Edmonton’s defence corps. He followed that with a strong 2023-24 season, scoring a career-high 12 goals and 21 points before taking on a bigger role with the San Jose Sharks.
That bigger role produced his best offensive totals yet. Walman finished that season with seven goals and 40 points in 65 games, then added two goals and 10 points in 22 postseason games.
The concern has always been health. He has never played more than 66 regular-season games in a single season.
Even so, the path to a bounce-back is easy enough to see. If Walman opens the year healthy, plays on his natural side, and gives Edmonton the kind of puck-moving, shot-driven offence he’s shown before, he can be a major piece of the blue line and the second power play unit. If injuries strike again, the Oilers at least have enough depth to survive it for a while.
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For Edmonton fans, it was the kind of summer event worth tracking beyond the usual prospect curiosity. Barnett, Cameron and Lafreniere each drew attention with notable showings as they tried to strengthen their cases for their national teams at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. With that tournament set for Alberta, the Oilers could have a few familiar names in the spotlight when the real stakes arrive. [Read more 🡒]