While it wasn’t the splashiest trade deadline for the Edmonton Oilers, they added some great depth pieces that are sure to boost this Cup-chasing roster.
In the team’s final move before Friday’s deadline, GM Stan Bowman acquired defenceman Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for centreman Carl Berglund and a 2026 first-round pick.
With the 29-year-old blue liner reportedly set to make his Oilers debut Saturday night against the Dallas Stars, captain Connor McDavid spoke about his anticipation for his new teammate to join him on the ice.
“Yeah, it’s exciting, I’m excited,” he told media. “Wally’s a great player, kinda grew up playing against him, playing with him, so I know him well. Solid, big body, skates well, defends well, he’ll help back there, and obviously the moves we made before. So that’s exciting.”
"Wow, I'm excited!"
Connor McDavid is pumped for the newest Oiler, Jake Walman.
Video Credit: @EdmontonOilers pic.twitter.com/8oSaZHJFRR
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 8, 2025
Both natives of Toronto, the two are familiar with each other from their days playing in the GTHL over 13 years ago, and tracing back even further growing up in the GTA hockey community. Walman was taken in the third round of the 2014 draft by the St. Louis Blues and made his NHL debut six years later. No stranger to being a trade piece, he was first sent to the Detroit Red Wings at the deadline in 2022, then dealt to the Sharks in the summer of 2024.
Speaking to media pre-game, Walman shared his mentality headed into tonight’s contest as two of the top teams in the West are set to face off.
“I’m going to give it my all,” he said, per NHL.com. “I think I’m competitive, I love to win and kind of do anything to help the team. I use my skating. I feel like that’s probably my biggest asset and then shooting the puck, but have a look up and down the lineup and obviously there are many great players.
Walman had two assists in his last game with the Sharks before being traded, sitting at +3 in the team’s commanding 6-2 win. He has a career-high 32 points in 50 games so far this year, on pace to beat his previous point total by over 20. The defenceman is also playing over 20 minutes a night for the first time in his career–with 23:11 per game with the Sharks this year. Now with six years in the big leagues to his name, he’s ready to take on a bigger role as Edmonton looks for another deep playoff run.
