Jake Walman of Edmonton Oilers thrives after the trade in San Jose sharks

San Jose – Former Sharks defender Jake Walman has just been 29 years old in February. But in six seasons in the NHL, he has already been negotiated three times, suffered his share of injuries, saw his ice time fluctuating as a younger player, faced a minor disciplinary problem earlier this season and has often been his worst critic.

Perhaps everything has led Walman to the place where he is today: a confident and productive player and an important part of a range of EDMONTON Oilers who hopes to reach the Stanley Cup final for a second consecutive year.

“I’m really proud of the place where I’m right now,” Walman said at Sap Center on Wednesday, where he and the Oilers will play the Sharks on Thursday. “I think that all the adversity that I treated a little at the start of my career put in place for a while like this, and I think I just start to start in my career.”

As part of a massive pre-projectory sale, the Sharks on March 6 surprisingly sent Walman to the Stanley Cup Oilers for a conditional recovery choice in 2026 and the AHL Carl Berglund striker.

The director general of Sharks, Mike Grier, said after the deadline of March 7 in which this period, he had no intention of negotiating Walman or striker Fabian Zetterlund to the Senators of Ottawa. However, he thought that the two offers would help the long -term perspectives of the franchise. The Sharks acquired Zack Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor and a selection of second round recovery in 2025 in the Zetterlund trade.

Walman, acquired by the Sharks of the Red Wings of Detroit for future considerations in June 2024, collected 32 points in 50 games with San Jose, on average 23:11 in ice. He played in all situations of the first day, was on the Sharks’ defense pair and still had another year on his contract.

Walman had a minor problem with the Sharks. During his injuries, Walman withdrew San Jose’s match on November 5 against Columbus Blue Jackets so as not to have come for a day off, violating a team rule. He and the team have both evolved.

“It was good for us,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky about Walman. “I thought he had grown up a lot and out of the ice. He was a defender who was moving the washer for us, which we did not have a lot of minutes, and played for great minutes, developing by playing matches against the first lines of the teams. He was an important player for us.”

“I just got 29 years old, but I always mature every day and I’m learning older guys,” said Walman. “It doesn’t matter who, taking parts and as (Warsofsky) said, I think I’m really hard with myself. So maybe at the start of the year, when things were not going well with our team, it was just harassing and harassing and just frustrated, but I am sort of learning to face certain things and to be more than a kind of mature pro with everything that happens inside.”

He could take some time to the sharks to replace the production of Walman at the back, but it was an ideal adjustment for the Oilers. In front Thursday, Walman, in 12 games with Edmonton, has a goal and five assists and on average more than 21 minutes in time of ice.

Walman scored his first goal with the Oilers on Tuesday evening, while his slap from the left flank exceeded his other ex-Shark Adin Hill to equalize the Edmonton match with the Golden Knights of Vegas. Oilers would continue to win 3-1.

“He touched all the basics,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch, about Walman. “Whether on the power game, the penalty or 5 against 5. A very good defender moving from the washer, obviously defends very well, but I think that his greatest strength would be how much he was well moved.

“We wanted someone who could do that for our team, just with the type of players we had, we wanted to add a little more attack from our defense to complete the attackers we have.”

While the Sharks hope to emerge soon from a profound reconstruction, the oilers loaded with veterans seem capable of another race in the playoffs after losing in seven games against the Florida panthers in the final of the last year’s cup.

Although they enter Thursday in third place in the Pacific division, the Leon Draisaitl Center is the league’s third scorer with 105 points and undoubtedly this year’s main candidate to win the Hart Memorial trophy while the NHL player deemed the most precious for his team.

Walman grew up playing with and against the superstar connor McDavid oilers in the Grand Toronto region and watched Edmonton closely throughout the playoffs last year.

“When you enter the room, it’s a different feeling. The guys know what to expect and a completely different situation,” said Walman. “But San Jose, for sure,” made the construction blocks. (But) this team has a few steps in advance in this area, and you know what to expect. “

Walman only played in a single match in the playoff series, with St. Louis Blues in May 2021. But it will be very different, starting with what is on the right track to be a first -round series between the Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth consecutive year.

“The fans we have in Edmonton are unreal. They travel very well too, and in a way on the road, we have the impression that we are sometimes at home,” said Walman. “In a way, to walk in the city of Edmonton, even on days without play, people wear oil jerseys and are really passionate and support the team.

“Simply proud to be part of it.”

Originally published: April 2, 2025 at 5:21 p.m.