While Darnell Nurse didn't find himself traded at the 2026 NHL Draft, fans of the Edmonton Oilers can still expect that by summer's end, he'll be playing for a different NHL franchise. While general manager Stan Bowman shouldn't feel particularly rushed to make a deal, Nurse's trade request seems to indicate that he feels it's time for a change of scenery, and a player who doesn't want to be in a specific city is unlikely to play at their best.
With Nurse's departure coming down the pipe at some point, the Oilers are going to have to figure out their defensive pairings for the 2026-27 season, and left-shooting defenseman Jake Walman, whose seven year deal kicks in on July 1st, is going to be a big part of that plan. For Edmonton to find its way back to the Stanley Cup Final he also needs to be better than he was last season.
Defensive pairings
There are things that Walman won't be asked to do, barring injuries or other transactions. Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm will face the toughest competition as the Oilers' first pairing. And while Walman does have a great slapshot, Bouchard will also continue to anchor the first powerplay unit following his 95 point 2025-26 season. So Walman's role will be a supporting one, but it's every bit as vital.
Between his powerplay opportunities and 5-on-5 play, Bouchard logs about 24 minutes of ice time per night. Walman played 18:45 on average last season, but with Nurse headed to greener pastures, the group will need to fill the 20 minute gap he leaves behind. Some of that work will fall to the recently extended Connor Murphy, but Walman's $7 million salary suggests that he will be asked to step up.
Statistical improvement on the horizon
Walman's minus 17 was the second worst number on the team, only ahead of regrettable signing Andrew Mangiapane. Acknowledging the imperfect nature of plus/minus as a statistic, the worry of it in Walman's case is that he got down to minus 17 in only 53 games played. He has the ability to bring some grit to the table, as seen in the Oilers' second series versus the Florida Panthers. When healthy, Walman is good for close to a hit per game.
His heavy shot is one of his best attributes, and the expected increase in ice time may mean Walman can add more points to his yearly total, they just can't come at the expense of defensive lapses. Walman is only 30, so barring injury he should have plenty of good years left in him before the wheels fall off. The Oilers will need him to step into a bigger role and do it well since he's a part of their long term future.
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