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Seven Jake Walman highlights to celebrate defenceman’s seven-year contract
Edmonton Oilers Jake Walman
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Sean Panganiban
Oct 7, 2025, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 7, 2025, 11:06 EDT
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The Edmonton Oilers were busy on Monday, with the biggest news being the signing of captain Connor McDavid to a two-year deal worth $12.5 million annually, a team-friendly contract so good it’s almost hard to believe, leaving Oilers fans pinching themselves the next day to make sure it was real.
The second-biggest news of the day for the Oilers was Jake Walman signing a seven-year deal worth $7 million annually. That said, GM Stan Bowman had plenty of praise for the blueliner during his media availability discussing his busy Monday, saying of the D-man:
“He changed the complexion of our defence, and everyone just fit in their spots, just right. And I was really impressed with his ability, super competitive guy. It wasn’t until we got him on our team, I didn’t realize how much of a warrior he was. He blocked shots all the time, he’s very competitive, physical, he’s got that competitive side, and on top of that, he’s such a great skater, effortless stride, so his mobility is really good. He’s got a big shot, he’s comfortable playing on the right side, which was something we were looking for.”
With Walman locked in for seven more seasons after 2025-26, to match his seven-year, $7 million-per-season deal, here’s a look at his seven best moments in his nearly seven months as an Oiler.

Highlight Reel First Assist as an Oiler

The Oilers traded for Walman last March, sending a conditional first-round pick in 2026 and prospect Carl Berglund to the San Jose Sharks, and it took him only a day to make an impact in Oilers silks.
Walman arrived in Oil Country with a reputation as a smooth-skating puck mover, and it didn’t take long to see why. In his first period as an Oiler on March 8 against the Dallas Stars, he spotted Zach Hyman cutting through the neutral zone and sent him a 55-foot flip pass right onto his stick. Hyman did the rest, freezing Jake Oettinger before tucking home a nifty forehand to backhand finish. That play gave Walman his first point as an Oiler, wasting little time showing Oilers fans exactly why GM Stan Bowman brought him aboard.

Walman Delivered a Big Hit on Mikko Rantanen

When Walman was first acquired, many hockey pundits discussed his ability to move the puck, but little was said about his physicality and grit. In his Oilers debut, the 29-year-old showed fans a glimpse of his nasty side.
Earlier in the game on March 8, as mentioned, he earned his first assist while donning the orange and blue, but later that game, he caught Stars’ Mikko Rantanen with his head down and delivered an aesthetically pleasing, big open-ice hit, knocking the Star to the ice. To top it off, the Oilers won 5-4, with Walman playing the second-most minutes on a night where he finished +3 and earned a highlight-reel assist.

Walman Had a Big First Goal as an Oiler

From day one as an Oiler, Walman showed he was a shot-blocking machine, blocking 31 shots in his first 12 games. In that same 12th game in Oilers silks on April 1st, he reminded fans he can score too, burying a rocket of a shot.
Perhaps this one is more memorable personally, as I was at T-Mobile Arena with the Nation Vacation crew when the Oilers took on the Vegas Golden Knights. We were all crossing our fingers for a win so we could march down the Vegas Strip chanting about the Oilers afterward, and after a 1-0 first-period deficit, optimism was slipping, until Walman found the twine for his first goal as an Oiler.
The blueliner received a pass from Vasily Podkolzin, skated in, and beat Adin Hill with a heavy short-side clapper to get the Oilers on the board and tie the game. Edmonton added two more goals to seal a 3-2 victory, giving the Nation Vacation Crew and the rest of the Oilers fans in the building a victory send-off through Sin City.

Walman’s Subtle Play on Bouchard’s Game-Tying Game 4 Goal Was Crucial vs. L.A.

This particular play by Walman was very subtle, yet enormous for the Oilers. It came in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings last playoffs, with the Oilers down 2-1 in the series.
Edmonton was trailing 3-2 with 37 seconds left in the game, and Walman was sent out with the Oilers’ big guns to help tie it up. His subtle read was absolutely huge — he anticipated the puck would be rung around, and thanks to his quick first steps, he beat Quinton Byfield to it. Here’s what I wrote about it at the time:
Photo Source: Sportsnet
“But thanks to Walman’s anticipation and effortless stride, he got to the puck with ease and made a subtle pass to McDavid, who then set up Evan Bouchard. A couple of quick passes later, Bouchard ripped home the one-timer to tie the game. It was a massive goal, and it doesn’t happen without Walman reading the play and making that subtle but crucial pass to McDavid.”
Walman didn’t receive an assist on the play, but his read and pass were crucial to the game-tying goal, helping the Oilers even the score and eventually win in overtime. Overall, it was a key play that helped kickstart the series comeback.

Walman Scored a Big First-Ever Playoff Goal

Walman scored his first goal as an Oiler against the Golden Knights in the regular season, while his team was down 1-0 at T Mobile Arena, and he scored his first-ever playoff goal in a similar fashion, same scenario, and the same player teeing one up for him.
In Game 2 of the second round against Vegas, the Oilers were trailing 1-0 in the second period. Podkolzin, who had set up Walman for his first goal as an Oiler nearly a month earlier, teed one up for the blueliner, and once again he unleashed a rocket of a slap shot that beat Hill to tie the game.
The 29-year-old’s blast proved pivotal in the Oilers’ 5-4 Game 2 win, and for Walman, scoring his first-ever playoff goal nearly 11 years after being drafted must have been especially satisfying.

Walman Had Memorable Pest-Like Antics in the Playoffs

Before coming to Edmonton, if you looked up highlights of Walman, you’d see viral videos of him hitting the Griddy dance after scoring big goals with the Detroit Red Wings. But come playoff time in Edmonton, it was all business, and, as mentioned, he brought a competitive edge that hadn’t been talked about much before he arrived in Oil Country.
He showed that pest-like edge throughout the playoffs, but it seemed to intensify in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers. In Game 1 of the Finals, with the score tied 3-3, Tomas Nosek took a delay-of-game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. Walman skated up to him, chirped, and laughed, showing off that pest-like gamesmanship side.
And then in Game 2, he had a stare-down with Eetu Luostarinen, bumped him, and even gave him a stinky glove to the face.
The Panthers may have come out on top, but the bravado the Oilers blueliner showed in the playoffs, particularly in the Finals, is exactly the kind of swagger the team needs from the blue line, and here’s hoping he continues to show it throughout this contract.

Walman Buried a Big Goal in Stanley Cup Final

So far, we’ve seen clips of Walman’s offence, his physicality, and his pest-like side. But the goal he scored against the Panthers in the Finals is one I can’t forget.
Perhaps Walman’s most memorable moment as an Oiler so far was the goal he scored on Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 4. With the score tied 3-3, Kasperi Kapanen fed him a pass, and with the blueliner’s stick pointed to the rafters, he blasted the puck home after a split-second man-on-man stare down with the Panthers’ netminder, just over six minutes left, giving the Oilers the go-ahead goal and sending the entire fanbase out of their seats. Although Sam Reinhart scored with almost 20 seconds remaining, the Oilers gutted out a clutch OT win, with Walman’s goal leaving a lasting impression.
All in all, Walman was an excellent addition last season, and it’s not surprising the team decided to lock him up long-term. With that in mind, what are your thoughts on his signing?
Watch more on the Walman extension from Oilersnation Everyday:

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