The Edmonton Oilers weren’t particularly busy at the trade deadline but filled a needed hole: a top-four defenceman. So, they acquired Jake Walman. He has made an immediate impact.
Since joining his new team, Walman has registered five points, averaging 21:19 minutes through 10 games. The 29-year-old has also been a shot-blocking machine, recording 26 blocked shots since his acquisition. He made his presence felt in his debut with a beautiful flip pass to Zach Hyman for a goal, and he laid a massive open-ice hit on Dallas Stars’ Mikko Rantanen, which endeared himself to the fan base.
He’s been a stabilizing presence on the back end and has taken some pressure off the rest of the group. On top of that, he has one more season on his current deal at a very reasonable $3.4 million cap hit. That term and cap hit makes him a valuable asset and worth the first-round pick that general manager Stan Bowman gave up. Plus, he’s a left-shot that can play both sides, so he’s versatile. The newest Oiler is just what the team needed to solidify the blue line in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
Oilers Have a Legitimate Defence Core
The Oilers have a legitimate defence core for the first time in many years. Walman, Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Brett Kulak, Ty Emberson, Troy Stecher, and John Klingberg suddenly make this blue line one of the most underrated units in the league. They have a great top-four and eight NHL quality defencemen that can be plugged into the lineup, barring injuries.
Emberson and Bouchard are pending restricted free agents and should get signed to extensions, while Nurse, Ekholm, Kulak, and Walman are all under contract for next season. Therefore, it looks like this group will be together for the foreseeable future. They have stability and no more holes at that position.
Walman instantly improved the blue line and pushed players down the depth chart. Kulak played a bit on the second pair, but he wasn’t comfortable playing the right side as a left-shot, and it showed. Stecher and Klingberg also had time on the second pair, but they aren’t top-four NHL defencemen, which was evident. The Oilers had a massive hole in that spot that couldn’t be filled internally, so they got exposed and had to make this necessary change. This one addition drastically changed the complexion of the D-core.
Walman Will Bring Out the Best in Darnell Nurse
Finally, Nurse has a reliable partner, which should bring out the best in him. He’s had a revolving door of partners dating back to last season, including Cody Ceci, Kulak, Stecher, and Klingberg. Neither player is top-four quality, and they were playing above their skill set. As a result, the veteran blueliner had to carry those partners and eat heavy minutes, which hindered his play. They were holding him back, but now he has a steady partner until the end of next season.
The main issue people have with Nurse is his hefty eight-year, $74 million contract ($9.25 million cap hit) extension he signed in 2021. Fans should understand that he will never live up to that contract, so it’s time to let it go. The pressure and expectations to live up to that deal probably affected him mentally, and he was trying to do too much. He’s more effective when he plays a simple game, and hopefully, he can get back to that.
He struggled mightily paired with Ceci, but he’s been much better this season, despite having inconsistent partners. The Hamilton, Ontario native just needs to play his game, which includes being physical and jumping in on the rush. He plays better with a hybrid defender that can shut down when needed but also move the puck out of their end, and Walman provides that. This duo is a good fit and will allow Nurse to play confidently. Yes, he is severely overpaid, but he’s still a good defenceman, and Walman should help take the pressure off, which will bode well for Edmonton down the stretch.
The Oilers added a top-four defenceman to pair with Nurse, and that was much-needed. They’ve been seeking a solution to that problem for years, and it looks like they have found it. Continue following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL news and rumours as we gear up for the playoffs.
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