The Edmonton Oilers had a busy today when it comes to the news front, on this, the eve of the NHL regular season puck drop for 2025-26. Around the same time it was announced Connor McDavid will be sticking around for a couple of seasons, defenceman Jake Walman also signs an extension with the club. The deal is for seven years and worth a total value of $49 million. This means he won’t be an unrestricted free agent until after the 2032-33 campaign. Let’s figure out what the Walman signing means.
Oilers Jake Walman Signs Contract Extension
Walman was under contract for the upcoming 2025-26 season already. However, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman was in the mood to play ball today. In an effort to build for the future, Bowman wanted to have a few things out of the way, to begin looking ahead. With signing McDavid and Walman, and getting it done for the cost he did, it gives them some flexibility going forward. The Oilers have a lot of money committed already to the 2026-27 season, and will really look forward to the raising salary cap. With a number of spots left to fill for 2026-27, including both goaltending spots, they have around $81.5 million committed. Therefore, getting McDavid and Walman in at where they got them, is a huge deal.
The Take from Walman’s Perspective
Statistically, Walman had a big year for the Oilers last year in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Including his time with the San Jose Sharks, he managed seven goals, 33 assists, totaling 40 points in 65 games during the regular season. However, come playoff time, he played very steadily for the Oil. In 22 contests, he managed two goals and eight assists, in just over 20 minute of average ice time. In any case, he showed himself to be a reliable defender for head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Over the duration of Walman’s career, he has proven to be consistent. In six seasons, he has played 267 games, with 32 goals, 59 assists for 91 points. That is in a total of just under 19 minutes of ice time. With this contract, it is a big commitment from Edmonton. If they are to succeed in playoff runs, Walman has clearly been identified as a major contributor. Time will tell, but for Walman, he is sure to have a ton of confidence going into 2025-26.
Main Photo Credit: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images
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