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Is Jake Walman capable of a bounce-back year? | 31 Oilers Questions (Day 2)

Photo credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

By Ryley Delaney

Aug 3, 2026, 14:00 EDT

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This August, Oilersnation will ask one question about every Edmonton Oilers player projected to be on the 2026-27 roster in preparation for the upcoming season. From Connor McDavid to Mattias Janmark, let’s ask some questions.

The 2025-26 season was a tough one for the Edmonton Oilers and Jake Walman. As you know, the Oilers failed to get out of the first round for the first time since 2021, and never really looked like the team that went to back-to-back Stanley Cup final.

Walman finished with eight goals and 20 points in the 53 games he played, with his minus-17 rating sitting as the team’s second-worst behind Andrew Mangiapane. Committing $49 million to the left-shot defenceman from 2026-27 until 2032-33, he needs to bounce back in 2026-27. Can he do it, though?

Is Jake Walman capable of a bounce-back season?

Diving deeper into Walman’s regular season, he missed the first six games due to injury. Returning on Oct. 21 in a game in the Nation’s Capital, the left-shot defenceman scored an overtime winner in his season debut.

Over his first 16 games, Walman scored three goals and 10 points with a minus-3. During this stretch, Walman played the majority of his five-on-five minutes on his off-hand, being paired with Darnell Nurse where they didn’t have fantastic results.

In Tampa Bay on Nov. 20, Walman blocked a shot and departed the game, playing just over 10 minutes. He didn’t suit up for nearly another two months due to a deep bone bruise. Returning on Jan. 13, 2026, Walman scored five goals and 10 points over his next 36 games.

When he and Nurse played together, they had solid underlying numbers, owning 51.46 per cent of the expected goal share, but Walman struggled playing alongside Ty Emberson, despite being on the left-side.

It was a disappointing regular season that was derailed due to injury, and now next season, the $7-million cap hit kicks in. Still, there are some encouraging signs.

What encouraging signs point to a Jake Walman bounce-back?

For starters, Walman was the team’s best defenceman in the post-season. In that short-lived run, he managed to pick up four assists, two of which came in Game 1 against the Ducks thanks to two fantastic stretch passes.

Those passes are important for Walman and the Oilers, as they now have three defencemen capable of breaking the puck out at an above-average level: Evan Bouchard on the first pair, while both Walman and Ryan Shea have proven capable as well. With the departure of Darnell Nurse, Walman will get to play on the left-side, though his defence partner (Emberson or Connor Murphy) is still yet to be determined.

There’s also a track record of being a productive defenceman. His breakout season came in 2022-23 with the Detroit Red Wings, a team that I watched quite often. Next to Bouchard, Walman’s shot is the best on the Oilers back end. He had a strong 2023-24, scoring a career-high 12 goals as well as 21 points, before getting a larger role with the San Jose Sharks.

Walman finished his season with seven goals and 40 points in 65 games, his point total being a career best. Then in the postseason, Walman scored two goals and 10 points in 22 games.

Injuries have unfortunately hampered Walman in the past, never playing more than 66 regular-season games in a single season. Still, he’s a good bet to bounce back thanks to being on his side, his track record of being a productive defenceman, and hopefully beginning the season healthy.

As long as he stays healthy, he’ll be an important member of the Oilers’ backend, as well as their second power play unit. If he can’t stay healthy, they at least have the depth to overcome his absence for a while.

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