Confirmed with Link: Jake Walman to Edmonton for F Carl Berglund and Conditional 1st

[Juxtaposer]

People liking bad players who look like they're trying more than good players who look lazy will never not be hilarious to me.

 

[tiburon12]

People liking bad players who look like they're trying more than good players who look lazy will never not be hilarious to me.

Good thing we arent talking about any good players who look lazy leaving this team. We're talking about a player with significant question marks who looks lazy. HUGE difference.

 

[weastern bias]

The pick is extremely unlikely to turn into a NHLer. So even if he could have dumped Walman for a 4th or for nothing it's just not that big of a deal.

 

[Hodge]

People liking bad players who look like they're trying more than good players who look lazy will never not be hilarious to me.

Maybe we should try to acquire good players who look like they're trying? Is that really so hard?

 

[Juxtaposer]

Good thing we arent talking about any good players who look lazy leaving this team. We're talking about a player with significant question marks who looks lazy. HUGE difference.

Jake Walman is a good player by every metric except "looking lazy". Like I said, he's no world beater and I'm not torn up about trading him if we're getting a 1st rounder in return, but he is objectively a good hockey player.

The people who say he isn't have no evidence except he "looks lazy". Again, I understand that he's flawed, but he's still a solid middle pairing defenseman and that is extremely good relative to every other defenseman on this team.

Maybe we should try to acquire good players who look like they're trying? Is that really so hard?

Did I say I prefer good players who look lazy to good players who look like they're trying? No, I said I prefer good players to bad players. The result is what matters, not what it looks like.

 

[Hodge]

Jake Walman is a good player by every metric except "looking lazy". Like I said, he's no world beater and I'm not torn up about trading him if we're getting a 1st rounder in return, but he is objectively a good hockey player.

The people who say he isn't have no evidence except he "looks lazy". Again, I understand that he's flawed, but he's still a solid middle pairing defenseman and that is extremely good relative to every other defenseman on this team.


Did I say I prefer good players who look lazy to good players who look like they're trying? No, I said I prefer good players to bad players. The result is what matters, not what it looks like.

Everyone in the NHL is "objectively a good hockey player." Walman has no business playing in a contender's top 4 and it's not just because he's lazy, it's because he's a turnover machine who can't defend and takes unnecessary risks with the puck. He straight up did not perform like a NHLer in 2023-24 to the point that he was healthy scratched at the end of the season which by the way was only his second season with more than 32 GP at 28 years old. This is a marginal player we tricked the clowns running Edmonton into overpaying for.

 

[OrrNumber4]

a 1st for Walman is great.

We're gonna have Schaefer, Dickinson, and Mukh all on the left side next season anyways.

My guess is that Grier "chose" between Ferraro and Walman. Right now, Ferraro, Desharnais, Mukhamadullin, Liljegren, Thrun, Vlasic, and Thompson are your 7 presumptive defensemen, at least pre-draft.

Then come the hypotheticals. Will they draft Schaefer (the broadcast hinted that the Sharks are targeting him)? Can they put together the assets for a premium young defenseman via trade? Or, can they take some cap dumps for the third season in a row? Who will they sign in free agency? How do the prospects (Cagnoni, Dickinson, etc.) look during TC and preseason?

 

[Juxtaposer]

Everyone in the NHL is "objectively a good hockey player." Walman has no business playing in a contender's top 4 and it's not just because he's lazy, it's because he's a turnover machine who can't defend and takes unnecessary risks with the puck. He straight up did not perform like a NHLer in 2023-24 to the point that he was healthy scratched at the end of the season which by the way was only his second season with more than 32 GP at 28 years old. This is a marginal player we tricked the clowns running Edmonton into overpaying for.

Show me evidence that Walman is a giveaway machine and bad defensively this season.

 

[Hodge]

Show me evidence that Walman is a giveaway machine and bad defensively this season.

The evidence is just watching him play. Unfortunately the league doesn't release trustworthy data on things like turnovers and allowing opposing forwards to gain the blueline but I'm sure the tracking data would corroborate that Walman is really bad in these areas.

 

[weastern bias]

 

[GRANdSharks]

Walman is a good player, but also isn't a long term solution for our d core so good work flipping him for a 1st if true

 

[Juxtaposer]

The evidence is just watching him play. Unfortunately the league doesn't release trustworthy data on things like turnovers and allowing opposing forwards to gain the blueline but I'm sure the tracking data would corroborate that Walman is really bad in these areas.

That isn't evidence. Two people can watch the same game and come away with completely different evaluations. Neither will be right because memories are bad.

You only remember the few very bad plays per game and not the dozens of very good plays per games because that's what you're looking for.

Yes Walman is giveaway-prone, yes he's a bit soft defensively, and yes, he can make some bone-headed decisions. But the problem is that while those are his weaknesses, every other Sharks defensemen are doing the same thing to a worse degree and don't have the positive attributes that Walman has. Ferraro is a giveaway machine, Thrun is a giveaway machine, Ceci was a giveaway machine, etc. But none of them can do the good things that Walman can do that outweigh the negatives.

 

[Hodge]

That isn't evidence. Two people can watch the same game and come away with completely different evaluations. Neither will be right because memories are bad.

You only remember the few very bad plays per game and not the dozens of very good plays per games because that's what you're looking for.

Yes Walman is giveaway-prone, yes he's a bit soft defensively, and yes, he can make some bone-headed decisions. But the problem is that while those are his weaknesses, every other Sharks defensemen are doing the same thing to a worse degree and don't have the positive attributes that Walman has. Ferraro is a giveaway machine, Thrun is a giveaway machine, Ceci was a giveaway machine, etc. But none of them can do the good things that Walman can do that outweigh the negatives.

Walman gives the puck away in higher-leverage situations than someone like Ferraro or Ceci. When Ferraro and Ceci give the puck away it's usually because they went glass-and-out or flipped the puck into the neutral zone or worst case rimmed it around the boards to an opposing defenseman. In all these situations the Sharks are typically in good defensive position so the resulting scoring chances are unlikely to be grade-A.

Walman's giveaways are far more often the result of him trying to skate through the opposing team or taking a stupid risk at the offensive blueline or just inexplicably turning it over in the dzone against minimal pressure. I fundamentally disagree that Walman's occasional good breakout passes or power play production outweighs his liabilities unless you can carve out a specialized offensive role for him on a blueline with 5 other guys who can actually defend. He has also been flat out horrible since returning from his injury, just like he was all of last season in Detroit, so it's hard not to come to the conclusion that the first 20 games this year were a fluke.

 

[Lebanezer]

 

[Lebanezer]

Carl Berglund, checks height… 6’2”, checks out.

 

[ChompChomp]

The conditions on the 2026 first round draft selection are as follows:

• The selection is Top 12 protected; if the selection is in the Top 12, Edmonton may choose to transfer their 2027 first round selection to San Jose instead.
• Should Edmonton choose to trade their 2027 first round selection prior to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, their 2026 first round selection will transfer to San Jose, unconditionally.

 

[rideaucrusher21]

Finally. I can sleep now. Well done, GMMG

 

[olli]

Grier is a MF WIZARD your team is going to be stacked in a few years guys

 

[wishman]

Was unrealistically hoping prospect would be someone of value. But getting a top 12 protected #1 pick in 2026 is a fair deal.

 

[hohosaregood]

It feels weird to call a lottery protection a conditional

 

[Hodge]

1st and 2nd round pick out of thin air just for having to stomach a couple months of watching Walman play for the Sharks. Unbelievable trade.

 

[ChompChomp]

Keep cooking Griersie!! We're going to eat GOOD in a few years!

 

[Hobocop]

Carl Berglund - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Carl Berglund, 2000-01-16 Hammarö, SWE Sweden. Most recently in the AHL with Bakersfield Condors. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Carl Berglund is 25, played for the Bakersfield Condors as a fourth liner mostly (12 points in 45 GP).

So not really a "prospect." But hey, first rounder is nice.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Walman for a 1st is a good trade. I don’t expect Berglund to be qualified after the season.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Berglund is a nothing prospect. Mike burnt the house down while cooking. At least the 1st is nice but I feel so whelmed. It is just so easy to be cynical about this team 24/7