Confirmed with Link: [EDM/SJS] Jake Walman <--> cond. EDM 1st '26 (Top-12 protected) & Carl Berglund

[JediOrderPizza]

You think Walman is shaky defensively? Hes been unreal on the sharks.

Eh I dunno, I'm curious what version you guys end up getting. There is a reason he stopped playing with Seider.

 

[McDNicks17]

Eh I dunno, I'm curious what version you guys end up getting. There is a reason he stopped playing with Seider.

To be fair, Seider's pairing seems to get thrown to wolves. The second pairing here should be easier competition.

 

[JediOrderPizza]

To be fair, Seider's pairing seems to get thrown to wolves. The second pairing here should be easier competition.

Very true.

 

[MessierII]

Eh I dunno, I'm curious what version you guys end up getting. There is a reason he stopped playing with Seider.

Sharks are -1 with him on the ice 5 v 5 and -37 or something without him. Hes clearly having an impact and has been their best defensemen this year.

 

[JediOrderPizza]

Sharks are -1 with him on the ice 5 v 5 and -37 or something without him. Hes clearly having an impact and has been their best defensemen this year.

Yeah he has had a fantastic year, I just remember some of the bad times. Hopefully you get the good.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Maybe Ekholm is more injured that reported. Or they want to lower his minutes or play 11-7.

I like the fact we added a top 4 D but not that he plays left.

We are kind of in the same situation we were before with Broberg.

Wasn't Ceci available?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Yeah he has had a fantastic year, I just remember some of the bad times. Hopefully you get the good.

He'll more of 4/5 in Edmonton (unless some people get hurt lol) so he should be in a better position to succeed, or that's the hope anyway.

 

[guymez]

xGA Oct and November 2.74/60 2nd best on team
December and Jan 3.38/60 2nd worst (Ceci was better)
Feb and March (so far) 2.3/60 middle of the team

He has been pretty inconsistent.
That said he brings offense which is nice. But ALL of his success is on the left side. So unless Nurse moves over, we just paid a first for a guy to play on the bottom pairing cause Kulak will have to be in the top 4. Which…well at least he is a solid player but it doesn’t seem like the best use of assets.

Good player, don’t like the fit.

Those numbers dont illuminate much other than he is playing on a bad team with an underwhelming D partner. To suggest that he is pretty inconsistent considering the reality of the situation in San Jose isnt a particularily cohernent take.

 

[LeonDraisaitl29]

Really nice trade. Legit top pairing D-man.

 

[K1984]

"Offensive" and "defensive" defensemen is such an archaic way to look at things.

Puck-movers have a ton of defensive value. Especially in the playoffs when teams make transitioning the puck harder. Remember what happened in the Cup Final? Knoblauch had to implement that whacky cherry pick up the boards style because they couldn't pass the puck out of the zone if their life depended on it.

To add to this, quite a few of our issues with odd man rushes have been created by two things:

- D men making dumb stretch pass attempts that get turned over with the forwards caught up ice

- Dumb plays at the offensive blue line. Some of this are forwards making incredibly stupid reverse passes, but quite a bit of it is also the D men making bad pinches, bad reads, or risky plays and get caught too deep.

A player that can hit the stretch pass (or is smart enough to realize it isn't there), and make a better read at the offensive blue line will help reduce the rush chances.

 

[LevelingSolo]

I like this deal more now

 

[tardigrade81]

Is he any good?

Well... Man.. he isn't bad...


Hahaahaha see what I did?

Anyway to answer your question, I'm not sure

 

[Connor McConnor]

Considering the cost Toronto just paid for a worse player, this was an A trade.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I think he's going to be a fan favourite.

I wonder if he tries to blow someone up on the stars to make a statement game one? Lol

 

[guymez]

Something to consider....

Zach Hyman - 0.60 ppg this season so far.
Jake Walman - 0.64 ppg this season so far.

They added a top 4 Dman that is currently a better point producer than the top LW on the team.
Walman didnt have players like McDavid and Draisaitl to inflate his numbers either.
Thats a major boost to the offence.

Walman is also going to help this team move the puck up to the forwards more efficiently.
The less time the Oilers spend in their own zone the better.

Good work by Bowman.

 

[backhandsauce]

I don’t know much about this guy. I hope he rocks it!

Let’s go boys. Time to get er going here.

 

[guymez]

I think he's going to be a fan favourite.

I wonder if he tries to blow someone up on the stars to make a statement game one? Lol

I would really like to see him blow one by Oettinger.

 

[Drivesaitl]

You think Walman is shaky defensively? Hes been unreal on the sharks.

Its misleading though. Didn't Codi Ceci look OK on the Sharks?

Its enigma sometimes. One expects a D with flaws to be exposed by bad clubs. But the look of it can be misleading. A normal D can look somehow better on a bad team in the company of worse players.

All I'm saying is we don't know a thing until Walman plays here. He's never been on a contender.

I don't know that much about him. He's only played appreciably in league for last seasons and on really bad clubs.

The whole look here is different.

 

[guymez]

To add to this, quite a few of our issues with odd man rushes have been created by two things:

- D men making dumb stretch pass attempts that get turned over with the forwards caught up ice

- Dumb plays at the offensive blue line. Some of this are forwards making incredibly stupid reverse passes, but quite a bit of it is also the D men making bad pinches, bad reads, or risky plays and get caught too deep.

A player that can hit the stretch pass (or is smart enough to realize it isn't there), and make a better read at the offensive blue line will help reduce the rush chances.

100%
Its refreshing to read this kind of thing on here because its so important and far too often overlooked,
Their puck management/decisions has been absolutely brutal and it caused all kinds of defensive breakdowns and uncontested chances.

I heard someone describe Edmontons team defence as the equivalent of a city dog park.
Quite accurate IMO and it all begins with better puck managment and better reads so players arent scrambling trying to get back into the play.

This team looks so disengaged far too often as well which IMO makes it difficult for a GM to assess his team. That is evidenced by just how many forwards are having off years so far....McDavid included.

I have made this statement on here a few times now but Frederic and Jones will help this team to become more enagaged emotionally until the real bullets fly in late April.
Thats when I think we will get a better assessment of this team because they will be fully enagaged emotionally and fully committed.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Needs a new backing track as this one sucks shit.

The worst track I've heard since Mike Vernon was singing.

Comments turned off video on youtube and I hear why.

 

[Mr Positive]

The only negative is the whole RD vs LD thing. It's the same with Frederic's center ability but being left shot as well.

I'd say if there were a RD equivalent of Walman available, that would have been better, but I'd rather have Walman than some lesser talented RD. They'll figure it out.

 

[Drivesaitl]

So i'm curious hands up, who has actually seen Walman more than say 10 games in his whole career? he's played for Detroit and SJ who virtually nobody watches. I can't say I've noticed him too much but seems from stat lines a late bloomer that took awhile to land in league. Thing is he's 29, in prime, but with only 250 games played in career and didn't get games traction until a few years ago.

So this is automatic top 4 D here? Is he? This is a guy that not even the Detroit Red Wings wanted. What am I missing?

Like I say I don't know the player but who's seen a lot of him? Whats he like?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Guilty as charged…from what I’m reading, I should be happy?

Thats the thing. Virtually nobody here has seen this guy what, 10 games? He's played for Detroit and SJ, whats the chances anybody ever watches those games except for when we play them? What I'm seeing in catching up the thread is a couple videos and people postulating on that and what he is, and toi and what he is, while playing on horrible clubs. Jeeze louise, of course you get minutes playing on awful clubs. is he any good. What is he as a D. His scores on Rush D are abysmal. pk abysmal.

Didn't we just get another offensive D that we have a ton of?

14 pages of thread and virtually nothing on what the player does well from those that have seen him lots.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The only negative is the whole RD vs LD thing. It's the same with Frederic's center ability but being left shot as well.

I'd say if there were a RD equivalent of Walman available, that would have been better, but I'd rather have Walman than some lesser talented RD. They'll figure it out.

The Griddy dance. which I just found out about seems a definite negative. What a clown dance. Can't imagine anybody doing that in a hockey rink without getting clocked silly with a two hander.

If I wanted stupid dances I'd watch NFL or NBA. Not in hockey please.

 

[FanOfSadTeam]

The Griddy dance. which I just found out about seems a definite negative. What a clown dance. Can't imagine anybody doing that in a hockey rink without getting clocked silly with a two hander.

If I wanted stupid dances I'd watch NFL or NBA. Not in hockey please.

You have to remember they are all boys/men playing a game. This is all purely for entertainment.