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Oilers looking to sign Walman for seven or eight years, two sides not agreeing on AAV
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
By Tyler Kuehl
Sep 30, 2025, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 30, 2025, 14:56 EDT
Insider Frank Seravalli joined Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now on Monday. Among the topics of discussion brought up was the contract negotiations between the team and defenceman Jake Walman.
Seravalli cited that the sides are looking at a long-term deal. However, with the rising salary cap over the next few years, the biggest hurdle between the two sides is determining the dollar amount for Walman’s new deal.
“My understanding is that this has been an ongoing conversation between the Oilers and Walman’s camp,” Seravalli said. “I believe the Oilers’ interest is in trying to sign Walman to a long-term deal, potentially as long as seven or eight years. I think there’s been some disagreement with the cap rising as to what Wallman’s AAV would be.”
Seravalli mentioned that the Oilers were hoping to put pen to paper with the 29-year-old prior to next week.
“I think the Oilers were hopeful, at one point, that they’d be able to get Walman locked up before the start of the regular season. Now, there’s still essentially 7-8 days left to do so. But I wouldn’t necessarily hold my breath.”
Walman is heading into the final season of his three-year contract that he signed with the Detroit Red Wings in February 2023. That deal carries a cap hit of $3.4 million with a modified no-trade clause. Walman was acquired by the Oilers at the trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks and proved to be a vital asset on the blue line as the team made it back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row.
Walman ended up scoring eight points in 15 games for the Oilers, finishing the 2024-25 campaign with a career-high 33 assists and 40 points in 65 games. He also notched two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 22 postseason games.
McDavid’s name unsurprisingly came up during the interview. Seravalli nixed the idea that several big-name players seem to be waiting to see what McDavid’s next contract will look like prior to signing their own deals.
“The Edmonton Oilers have been drooling, frothing, to try and get a deal done with McDavid, really to no avail. So, it’s not on the team front. And frankly, the market has zero to do with Connor McDavid because he’s totally in a class of his own. Whatever he wants to sign for, he will. So he’s not impacting anyone else’s deal.”
A particular deadline that’s on the horizon for McDavid and the Oilers is Oct. 6. That’s the final day when Edmonton can sign its captain to a contract with a deferred salary.
“I want to be abundantly clear in case anyone wants to clip this and or tweet it,” Seravalli said. “I am not saying that Connor McDavid is interested in a deferred salary configuration of his next deal. However, if he is at all, then the time is nigh to do it. … If Connor McDavid wants to sign a deal that gives the Oilers a chance to win by lessening his AAV, and also puts max dollars in his pocket, this is the way to do it.”
You can watch the full interview below:
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