Oilers scratch Jake Walman in year 1 of $49M deal

This isn't a one-off. The quote from inside the Oilers is about as blunt as hockey gets, and the question attached to it is the one every Edmonton fan is asking.

Janson Duench

@reporterJD

“This coaching staff has done a good job of keeping guys accountable. That’s what that is.” In the first season of a seven-year, $49 million extension, Jake Walman isn't playing. Where do the Oilers go from here? t.co/HilLLGuhK4

"Keeping guys accountable" is coach-speak for one thing: the guy isn't playing well enough. Under Mike Babcock, Walman has been a healthy scratch in 5 of Edmonton's last 7 games, and he has 1 point in 11 games this season, according to Oilers Nation. For a defenseman on a $7 million cap hit, that's a disaster of a start.

It's a long way from where this was a year ago. Edmonton got Walman from San Jose in March 2025, and he was good after the trade. Across 65 games with the Sharks and Oilers that season he put up 40 points, and he was part of the run to the Stanley Cup Final. That earned him the 7-year, $49 million extension the Oilers gave him in October 2025, before it had even kicked in.

Now it has kicked in and he's in the press box. That's what makes this so ugly. The money isn't a buyout candidate or an end-of-deal salary dump. It's year 1 of 7, and the deal includes a full no-move clause, so Edmonton can't just ship him somewhere without his say.

So where do the Oilers go from here? There are really only 3 options. Babcock keeps scratching him and hopes it lights a fire. Walman plays his way back in when someone else slips. Or the whole thing gets so sour that a trade conversation starts, and with that clause, Walman would have to sign off on any destination.

Janson Duench

@reporterJD

“This coaching staff has done a good job of keeping guys accountable. That’s what that is.” Jake Walman isn't playing. Where do the Oilers go from here? t.co/HilLLGuhK4

For now the message from the bench is pretty clear: the contract doesn't buy you a sweater. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their window, Edmonton isn't going to dress somebody just to justify a cap hit. The next few lineup cards will tell us whether this is a wake-up call or the start of a much bigger problem.