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Jake Walman

Pacific Notes: Canucks Updates, Hyman, Walman

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After trading J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers last season, the Vancouver Canucks no longer have the luxury of two first-line caliber centers in their lineup. The departure of Miller via trade and the free agent departure of Pius Suter (the club’s highest-scoring pivot in 2024-25) has left the Canucks in a somewhat vulnerable position down the middle – but it’s one the club hopes to be able to trade its way out of. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin told the media, including Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor, that the club is “not waiting” when it comes to adding center reinforcements from outside the organization, and is “open for business” regarding making trades to add players.

This past summer’s trade market has been described by figures across the NHL’s front office and media landscape as uncharacteristically slow, with far fewer teams interested in trading established NHL talent for future assets such as prospects or draft capital. Allvin specifically said he believes the Canucks “have enough assets in our organization” and enough “draft capital if that’s needed.” The main element of a trade they appear to be missing, at least at this point in time, is another club willing to part with a capable center in exchange for something Vancouver those assets Vancouver is seeking to offer up.

  • Allvin also updated the media on injuries to three Canucks players: Jett Woo, Ty Mueller, and Anri Ravinskis. Woo, 25, had surgery in August and is currently out on a month-to-month recovery timeline. It’s a tough blow for Woo, who was likely eyeing this upcoming preseason to make a push for an NHL roster spot after helping lead the AHL Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup championship. Mueller, 22, is injured on an undisclosed timeline, while Ravinskis is recovering from summer hernia surgery.
  • The Nation Network’s Jason Gregor reported today that Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman won’t be on the ice with the rest of the Oilers for the first week of the club’s training camp. Hyman is still dealing with the wrist injury that knocked him out of last season’s playoffs, one that required offseason surgery. Hyman declined to establish a specific timeline related to his recovery. The 33-year-old is one of the Oilers’ most important forwards, scoring 54 goals and 77 points in 2023-24 and 27 goals last season.
  • Oilers defenseman Jake Walman will begin the season playing on his off-hand side alongside Darnell Nurse, per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. Walman is a left-handed defenseman who ended last year playing on the left side alongside John Klingberg, but will now take up a role next to Nurse on what will presumably be the Oilers’ second pairing. Walman is entering a crucial contract year and if he can repeat his strong 2024-25 performance (he had seven goals, 40 points) he could line himself up to cash in nicely in free agency.

Snapshots: Tuch, Fleming, Walman

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The Buffalo Sabres are looking to end their 14-year playoff drought this season, and if they’re going to do so, it’ll be in large part due to the contributions of Upstate New York native Alex Tuch. The 29-year-old winger has been stellar for the Sabres since arriving from Vegas as part of the Jack Eichel trade, and after scoring 36 goals and 67 points last season, the power forward is in line for a significant raise from his current $4.75MM AAV. A pending unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, Tuch’s contract situation will be one of the key storylines to watch for the Sabres this season.

As of right now, nothing appears imminent, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Pagnotta reports that the Sabres “want to lock [Tuch] up” by signing him to a new contract, but “haven’t gotten to that point yet.” With the trade of J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth this past summer, Tuch’s contributions will be even more important to the Sabres immediate and long-term future. The only major bump in pay for next year on the Sabres’ books, at this point, is the increase of Jeff Skinner’s buyout cap hit from $4.4MM to $6.4MM, so it appears the Sabres will have the financial flexibility to afford a new deal for Tuch – whether he re-signs will likely come down to the preferences of the player.

In other news from across the NHL:

  • Vegas Golden Knights prospect Joe Fleming is changing positions. SinBin Vegas’ Ken Boehlke reports that the plan for Fleming moving forward is for him to play forward, not defense. The 22-year-old manned the blueline for the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights last season, and played in the 2024 ECHL All-Star game as a defenseman. Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig told the media that they envision the physical Fleming to be a “force below the hash marks” as a forward, and Fleming told the media that he is “excited” for the chance to play in his new position. Fleming is entering the final season of his entry-level contract and carries a league-minimum $775k NHL cap hit alongside an $82.5k AHL salary.
  • The Edmonton Oilers made one of the better mid-season additions of the 2024-25 campaign when they traded for then-San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman. Walman’s success in Edmonton on their run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final could mean the organization is interested in signing the player to an extension, as he is currently slated to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of 2025-26. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reported today that Walman’s agent, Wade Arnott of Newport Sports Management, was in Edmonton yesterday for in-person talks related to an extension for his client. Walman’s current contract carries a $3.4MM AAV, but after a 40-point season, it is likely he will receive a strong bump in pay on his next deal. AFP Analytics currently projects Walman to receive a $6.5MM AAV on a projected five-year contract term on the open market.

Oilers’ Jake Walman Fined Twice For Game 3 Incidents

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It was almost a guarantee that the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DoPS) would have work to do after a hectic Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Earlier today, the DoPS shared that they had fined Oilers defenseman Jake Walman a total of $10K, the maximum allowable under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Walman earned a pair of fines from last night’s events. Walman received two minor penalties for the first incident, along with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for roughing Matthew Tkachuk. Meanwhile, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad also received two minor penalties for roughing while defending his teammate.

The second incident took place outside the area of play. As he was exiting the ice, Walman had his glove taken and subsequently thrown into Florida’s bench by Panthers forward A.J. Greer. In response, Walman took one of the Oilers’ water bottles and began spraying it toward the Panthers’ bench, which earned an automatic fine.

Surprisingly, the DoPS only bestowed additional punishment to Walman from last night’s contest, and doesn’t seem likely to issue more. There were 35 penalties called in Game 3, of various forms, with 26 of them coming in the third period. Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse led the way with 19 PIMs, while Florida forward Jonah Gadjovich led the opposition with 15.

Oilers Notes: Bowman, Ekholm, Hyman

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In an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Edmonton Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman, spoke highly of the Oilers’ two defensive additions throughout the regular season, John Klingberg and Jake Walman. Bowman had always believed that the Oilers’ defense was the most glaring issue, saying, “That was something that struck me early in the season.”

The relationship between the Oilers and Klingberg began in November. Bowman articulated that Edmonton needed a capable puck-moving defenseman to play behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and that was the reason the team went after Klingberg. Bowman said, “We started talking to him in November, knowing he wouldn’t be back (from injury) for a while. But that was the style of player that I thought would really complement our group. Of course, you think of the defensive side, but I thought we defended well as a team.”

That was largely the same reasoning he used for pursuing Walman at the trade deadline. LeBrun quoted Bowman saying, “Walman is along the same lines, because I believed in the group we had on the defensive side. I felt if we could add to it, this was sort of the look that I was hoping would come to be.” The two have been instrumental in the Oilers’ run to the Western Conference Finals, combining for seven points in 27 games with a +19 rating, averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time per game.

More notes from the Oilers:

  • Staying on Edmonton’s blue line, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic recognized the strong play of defenseman Troy Stecher and the harsh reality eventually coming his way. In five games this postseason, Stecher has averaged an exceptional 100.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength, allowing Edmonton to play him without hesitation. Unfortunately, given the other pieces on the blue, Stecher will be the one removed from the blue line once Mattias Ekholm returns. Still, thanks to his play over the last several games, the Oilers won’t hesitate to put him back in the lineup should there be another defensive injury.
  • As noted in a new article from Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, one player who’s stepped up his game in the postseason after a difficult regular season is Zach Hyman. In the article, which our readers are encouraged to read in its entirety, he blamed concussion issues and the fact that he wasn’t considered for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off as the reason he scored half as many goals as he did during the 2023-24 campaign. Still, he’s been phenomenal in the postseason, scoring five goals and 11 points in 14 games with 109 hits.

Latest On Edmonton Oilers Injuries

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Teams around the NHL received long lists of injury updates headed into the weekend. None were more important than for the Edmonton Oilers, who learned that Leon Draisaitl will return before the end of the regular season, head coach Kris Knoblauch told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic before Friday’s win over San Jose. Draisaitl has missed Edmonton’s last four games with an undisclosed injury. Knoblauch also shared that goaltender Stuart Skinner will return to start two of the team’s last four games, that defenseman Mattias Ekholm is back to full health, and forward Trent Frederic might not be ready for the first game of the postseason. Nugent-Bowman also shared that defenseman Jake Walman would continue to sit out on Friday, but is expected to return in one of the team’s back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday.

Both Ekholm and Skinner rejoined the lineup on Friday night after missing Edmonton’s last seven games. Ekholm’s injury wasn’t disclosed but Skinner had sustained a head injury on a collision with Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen in late March. Skinner served as the backup in his return, but Ekholm wasn’t as lucky. He stumbled a few times in his first few shifts and eventually left the game after just two minutes of total ice time. Winger Zach Hyman also left the game early, after just seven minutes of ice time. It wasn’t entirely clear where either Oilers skater was hurt. Knoblauch told Nugent-Bowman after the game that both Ekholm and Hyman will be questionable for game one of the playoffs.

No injury updates were provided about center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has missed the last two games with illness, or defenseman John Klingberg, who has missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury. Knoblauch did add that forward Evander Kane, who hasn’t played this season due to multiple surgeries, still does not have a clear timeline.

The wave of injury updates come at the right time for the Oilers. They have three games remaining in their season and a cushy role as the third-ranked Pacific Division squad all-but-locked up. The Oilers appear to be headed for a feud with the Los Angeles Kings in round one, and will need their offensive firepower to get over the defense that’s allowed the second-fewest goals in the Western Conference.

Draisaitl’s addition will go a long way towards achieving that goal. He’s among the top favorites for the Hart Trophy this season, after amassing 52 goals and 106 points in just 71 games. His scoring average puts him on pace for 122 points in 82 games – just shy of the career-high 128 points he recorded in the 2022-23 season. Draisaitl has performed at a superstar level once again this season, and getting a chance to return before the postseason kicks off should help him get back up to star speed before Edmonton’s must-win games.

Draisaitl will help pull the Oilers offense forward while Walman looks to assume a major role on defense. Ekholm leaves a top-pair role and over 22 minutes of ice time each game up for grabs, and Walman will be the primary beneficiary when he’s ready to return. The Trade Deadline acquisition has posted a fantastic eight points, six penalty minutes, and plus-five in 15 games with the Oilers, while averaging more than 21 minutes a game. He’s become an adequate support for top left-defender Darnell Nurse, and together the two will look to split Edmonton’s top role on the left-side. Ekholm will join the duo when he’s back to full health, giving the Oilers one of their deepest blue-lines headed into the postseason in recent memory.

That boost will help make up for blows to Edmonton’s complimentary cast. Hyman has continued to stand as a top scorer on the lineup with 27 goals – second-most on the team – and 44 points in 73 games this season. He’s once again dominating the net-front, a role that Edmonton has struggled to fill in his absence. That role could be managed by Trade Deadline buy Trent Frederic, though he’s only been healthy for one game since Edmonton sent a second-round and fourth-round draft pick to Boston for the centerman. His return will likely line up closely with Hyman’s, effectively defaulting Frederic to a role in Edmonton’s bottom-six – where he’ll look to carve out a role on the back of his size, 15 points in 58 games, and underperforming 10.3 shooting percentage this season.

Edmonton’s skaters will collectively look to bolster the product in front of starting goaltender Stuart Skinner, who has again struggled with consistency this season. Skinner has two shutouts on the year, but a .894 save percentage and 24-18-4 record through 48 starts. He’s been ever-so-slightly outperformed by backup Calvin Pickard in his absence, though Pickard’s 22-9-1 record and .902 save percentage don’t jump off the page either. Goaltending has been Edmonton’s achilles heel in past postseasons, and how Skinner is able to return from injury could go a long way towards shaping their playoff hopes. The Oilers will be looking to run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in due time, after they lost in game seven of the Finals to the Florida Panthers last season.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Oilers Acquire Jake Walman From Sharks

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3/7: The Edmonton Oilers have confirmed the acquisition of Walman, documenting the return as a conditional 2026 or 2027 first-round pick and minor-leaguer Carl Berglund. Berglund has 12 points in 45 AHL games this season.

3/6: According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers are working on a trade that would send defenseman Jake Walman north to Alberta. Pagnotta later shared that the trade is nearly complete, and there are rumblings that a first-round pick is headed to San Jose. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug added that Edmonton is expected to send a prospect back to the Sharks as a part of the deal, and the pick will have conditions on it.

The deal may take some time to finalize. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported that the Oilers have some roster constraints, meaning the trade may not be completed until later tonight or early tomorrow morning.

In another master class move with one of his assets, general manager Mike Grier continues to collect future assets for the Sharks. Remaining one of the more baffling moves of the summer, San Jose acquired Walman and a 2024 second-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations last off-season. He’s now added two picks in the top 64 at no cost.

Walman has thrived in his new environment, too. He leads all San Jose defensemen in scoring with six goals and 32 points in 50 games, averaging 23:11 of ice time per night. He hasn’t been a drain on their possession metrics either, as Walman has maintained a 49.4% CorsiFor% at even strength, which is good for fourth on the team.

To put this season into perspective, Walman is only seven points away from matching his total point production with the Red Wings. Granted, he’s averaged nearly four minutes more a night, but it’s still a noteworthy development for the Toronto native.

He should fit seamlessly into the Oilers’ lineup. Although Edmonton could have used a right-handed defenseman, Walman isn’t a stranger to playing his off-side. He’ll join Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse in the Oilers’ top four, giving them flexibility to build their bottom pairing with Brett Kulak, John Klingberg, Ty Emberson, and Troy Stecher.

Unfortunately, Walman doesn’t have much postseason experience. Despite the 2024-25 campaign being his seventh year in the NHL, Walman has one postseason contest to his name, coming back in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs with the St. Louis Blues. Walman can rely on his teammates for that, given that much of the roster made it to Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final less than a year ago.

The last major benefit to Edmonton is that Walman is signed to an affordable $3.4MM salary through next season. The team still has to figure out a new contract for Bouchard, but Walman gives them more clarity on their blue line, at the very least.

San Jose Sharks Make Several Roster Moves

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As expected, the San Jose Sharks made multiple roster moves before tonight’s contest against the Minnesota Wild. The Sharks organization announced they’ve activated forward Carl Grundström and defenseman Jake Walman from the injured reserve while placing forwards Klim Kostin and Nikolai Kovalenko on it in a corresponding roster move.

Despite moving a pair of forwards to the injured reserve, the transaction is a major addition to San Jose’s lineup. Walman has objectively been the Sharks’ top defenseman this near averaging nearly a point-per-game for the first time in his career with five goals and 25 points in 31 games while averaging 22:50 of ice time per night. His defensive metrics have depressed slightly since his time with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues but Walman is still one of the only Sharks’ defensemen with a positive expected +/- and CorsiFor% over 50.0%.

Grundstrom is expected to reprise his familiar role in San Jose’s bottom-six. He’s scored one goal and five points in 30 games for the Sharks this season which is seven points lower than his 20-point, 82-game average with the Los Angeles Kings last year. Still, Grundstrom is second amongst San Jose’s forwards in hitting with 85 showing he can still provide quality physicality if he isn’t finding his way on the scoresheet.

The oft-healthy scratched Klostin is one of the forwards moved to the injured reserve to make room for Walman and Grundstrom’s activation. After scoring five goals and 10 points in 19 games for the Sharks after being acquired from the Red Wings at last year’s deadline his offensive output has fallen off a cliff this season with one goal and four points in 26 contests. He’ll likely miss three games on the injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury yesterday and may not find himself in the lineup once he returns.

Kovalenko hasn’t suited up for San Jose since the team’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights on January 7th due to an upper-body injury. He’ll be quicker to return than Klostin given he was considered day-to-day and will have already missed two of three games needed to be eligible for activation. He got off to a quick start with the Sharks after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche tallying five assists in his first five games but only has one goal in the following seven contests.

Injury Updates: Monahan, Zetterlund, Walman, Faksa

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The Blue Jackets will be without Sean Monahan for a little while.  Speaking with Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek (video link), team President and GM Don Waddell indicated that the veteran is dealing with a wrist injury, one that will keep him out for “some time, hopefully not a long time.”  Monahan was expected to get a bone scan today to help determine how much time he’ll be out for.  The 30-year-old has fit in quite well with Columbus this season, notching 14 goals and 27 assists in 41 games while logging 19:27 per night, his highest ATOI since his sophomore year a decade ago.  In doing so, he has given them a legitimate number one center, a spot they’ve been looking to fill for quite some time although they’ll be looking to fill that role with someone else for the time being.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Sharks winger Fabian Zetterlund is dealing with a lower-body issue but should still be able to play on Friday versus Utah, mentions Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). The injury hasn’t resulted in him missing any time yet although he hasn’t taken part in several practices due to it.  After a strong first year in San Jose, Zetterlund is producing at a slightly better rate this year despite the lingering injury, posting 11 goals and 16 assists through the first 43 games of the season.
  • Still with the Sharks, defenseman Jake Walman is also hoping to be available for Friday’s game against Utah, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). Walman has yet to play since the holiday break due to a lower-body issue of his own.  He has been one of the breakout performers of the season after coming over in an offseason move from Detroit and has five goals and 20 assists in 31 appearances so far while logging nearly 23 minutes a game, numbers that lead San Jose’s blueliners.
  • Blues center Radek Faksa is nearing a return to the lineup and could be an option to suit up on Thursday, relays Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (Twitter link). The soon-to-be 31-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury and has played just once in the last four weeks.  In his first season with St. Louis, Faksa hasn’t been a big offensive contributor thus far, carrying that over from his time in Dallas.  He has two goals and five assists through his first 30 outings and if the Blues wind up selling before the March 7th trade deadline, he could be on the move with several teams undoubtedly looking to add center depth in the coming weeks.

Sharks Activate William Eklund, Place Jake Walman On IR

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The Sharks have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight versus New Jersey.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated forward William Eklund off injured reserve.  To make room on the roster, blueliner Jake Walman has been placed on IR.

Eklund has been dealing with an upper-body injury sustained just before the holiday break.  After a strong rookie year that saw him record 45 points in 80 games, the 22-year-old is on pace for a more productive campaign, notching seven goals and 20 assists through his first 36 appearances this season.

While it’s the fourth straight year in which Eklund has seen NHL action, his first two years didn’t see him burn a year of his entry-level deal since he played under ten games in each one.  Accordingly, he’s signed through the 2025-26 campaign but will be extension-eligible this summer and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the two sides try to work out an early long-term deal.

As for Walman, he has been out with a lower-body injury that also occurred a little before the break.  After being acquired in a salary cap dumping trade from Detroit, the 28-year-old has had a breakout year with the Sharks, recording five goals and 20 assists in 31 games while logging nearly 23 minutes a night of playing time.  He leads all San Jose defenders in points with 25 while his ATOI leads all Sharks players.

Despite the IR placement, Walman may not be there for long.  Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now notes that Walman skated before practice for the second straight day today, suggesting that he might not be too far from a return.  San Jose is eligible to back-date the placement to December 22nd and if they do so, he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.

Sharks Notes: Kostin, Vanecek, Eklund, Walman

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The San Jose Sharks have activated forward Klim Kostin from the injured reserve. Kostin has missed the Sharks past five games with an upper-body injury but isn’t likely to play tonight and will serve as a healthy scratch. Kostin has had several stretches this season where he has served as a healthy scratch due to poor play, including a stretch of three weeks in November. The former first-round pick was solid as a depth scoring option in Edmonton during the 2022-23 season but has just a goal and three assists in 20 games this year.

In other Sharks notes:

  • The Sharks have placed goaltender Vitek Vanecek on the injured reserve. The 28-year-old hasn’t played in almost two weeks and can be activated whenever he is healthy enough to play again. It’s been a struggle this season for Vanecek as he’s posted a 3-8-1 record with a .885 save percentage and a 3.84 goals-against average. Vanecek was acquired from the New Jersey Devils back in March and is in the final season of a three-year $10.2MM contract.
  • Sharks forward William Eklund is day-to-day with an upper-body injury (as per Max Miller of The Hockey News). The 22-year-old took a nasty hit from Tyler Myers in the first period of Monday night’s game against Vancouver and missed the second and third periods. The Sharks don’t appear overly concerned at the moment and are monitoring Eklund’s recovery. The former seventh overall pick in 2021 has been sloppy with the puck at times this season, but his play-driving abilities and offensive instincts have been on full display. In 36 games this season Eklund has posted seven goals and 20 assists.
  • Finally, Sharks defenseman Jake Walman is also out day-to-day with a lower-body injury (as per Max Miller of The Hockey News). Walman suffered an apparent injury at some point in Saturday’s game against Edmonton and will miss his second consecutive game this evening. The 28-year-old has already set a career-high in points this season with 25 (five goals and 20 assists) in just 31 games.

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