OilersNation has reported:

Jake Walman is expected back in the Edmonton Oilers’ lineup Saturday against the Utah Mammoth after an injury kept him out of the team’s last three games. The 30-year-old defenceman’s rough start to the 2026-27 season has renewed questions about his form, health and ability to regain the impact he had after Edmonton acquired him at the 2025 trade deadline.

Walman had no points through his first four games this season and averaged fewer than 15 minutes of ice time per game. He was injured during Edmonton’s 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 7, then missed the team’s next three games. He is projected to return alongside Ty Emberson in a third-pairing role.

The early numbers have been difficult. At five-on-five, Edmonton has controlled 42.7 per cent of expected goals and 25 per cent of high-danger scoring chances with Walman on the ice. In the Oilers’ second game of the season, head coach Mike Babcock briefly benched him.

Asked the following day about accountability and how he distributes ice time, Babcock said, “I try and play the guys that are playing best.” Walman also addressed his performance after the game, saying, “Nobody wants to correct their mistakes more than the guy that’s on the ice, and that’s me.”

His current stretch contrasts with the impression he made in 2024-25. After joining Edmonton at the trade deadline, he quickly drew attention with a major hit on Mikko Rantanen in his debut and a go-ahead goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. In 37 regular-season and playoff games with the Oilers that season, he recorded 18 points, posted a plus-14 rating and averaged more than 20 minutes per game.

The team’s results with him at five-on-five were also strong. Edmonton controlled about 55 per cent of expected goals and high-danger chances while he was on the ice. That contribution helped secure Walman a seven-year, $49-million contract extension in October 2025, even though one year remained on his existing deal.

The signs of trouble grew during the following season. Injuries limited Walman to 53 games in 2025-26, when he recorded 20 points and finished with a career-worst minus-17 rating. Edmonton was outchanced considerably with him on the ice at five-on-five and controlled only 46 per cent of expected goals in those minutes, a marked drop from the previous year.

His individual defensive results were also poor. Statistics from HockeyStats.com placed Walman in the first percentile for defensive wins above replacement, an estimate of individual defensive impact that put him among the league’s lowest-rated defencemen. A substantial share of his five-on-five minutes came on his off-side beside Darnell Nurse, a deployment that may have contributed to the difficult season.

Durability is another concern. Walman has not played more than 65 games in any NHL season, and since arriving in Edmonton he has missed roughly one-third of the Oilers’ regular-season games. Injuries are largely beyond a player’s control, but availability is a central consideration for a defenceman carrying a $7-million cap hit.

Babcock has said Walman should be producing more consistently. “He’s too good a player to not be at the top of his game,” the coach said. The defenceman’s shot and puck-moving ability across all three zones remained useful to Edmonton during last season’s decline, even as his overall effectiveness fell.

A return to his earlier form would matter as Edmonton assesses its defensive pairings. Mattias Ekholm has continued to play at a high level despite his age, while newcomer Ryan Shea has made an impressive start as an Oiler. Walman will have to demonstrate that he merits a larger role under Babcock, beginning with the anticipated third-pairing assignment against Utah.

The season is still young, and there remains a possibility that Walman can turn his play around. His early-season results and injury record, however, offer reason for concern as the Oilers look toward another deep post-season run. At his best, he has shown he can make a significant difference on Edmonton’s blue line and justify a $7-million cap hit.

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