The Edmonton Oilers opened their season with a tense loss to Calgary, but one of the bigger surprises happened before the puck even dropped. Jake Walman wasn’t on the bench. He wasn’t in uniform. And for a team that just handed him $49 million over seven years, his absence didn’t go unnoticed.
Why Was Jake Walman Missing from the Oilers’ Season Opener?
At first, there was no word on what kept him out, no official update, no mention of injury, just silence. That changed the next day when the Oilers moved Walman to injured reserve.
Whatever he’s dealing with apparently dates back to training camp. He had been practicing and looked close to game-ready, but something flared up in the last minute, forcing the team to pivot.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Walman was expected to log major minutes on the second pairing, helping anchor the Oilers’ blue line alongside Darnell Nurse. Instead, rookie Alec Regula got the call.
Walman’s Role Going Forward
Walman wasn’t with the Oilers for long last season. He didn’t need much time to make a mark, though, showing up via a deadline trade with the Sharks and immediately carving out a regular spot.
He was logging over 21 minutes a night across 15 games and looked completely natural, like he’d been an Edmonton fixture forever. He kept that high level right through the playoffs, chipping in 10 points over 22 games and finishing a +9 rating.
No real surprise, then, that Edmonton moved to lock him up for the long haul. He signed a massive seven-year deal before the season even began, joining an already stacked blue line featuring Nurse, Ekholm, and Bouchard. That kind of commitment is a huge vote of confidence, but it also cranks up the pressure.
The immediate concern isn’t his performance; it’s simply his availability. Although his move to injured reserve was made retroactive, technically allowing for a return within a week, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready by then. We still don’t have a firm timeline.
He practiced throughout the season’s build-up, yet clearly hit some kind of snag right before the first puck drop. The club is staying tight-lipped about the injury, and details are scarce.
In the meantime, the structured defensive pairings have led rookie Alec Regula to step in. How the blue line holds up without Walman is officially the main storyline for the coming stretch.
With a Vancouver game up next and the Oilers still desperate for that first win, everyone is holding their breath for good news on their newest core piece.