Edmonton Oilers have started contract talks with Jake Walman: report
The Edmonton Oilers aren’t letting Connor McDavid take up all their time when it comes to contract negotiations ahead of training camp.
No doubt extending the Oilers captain remains the top priority for the team, but he isn’t the only key player in need of a new contract after this season. Defenceman Jake Walman is also on an expiring contract, and Edmonton wants to keep him around.
Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reported on Saturday that Walman’s agent, Wade Arnott, was in the Alberta capital on Friday for contract talks with the Oilers. While this indicates that negotiations are underway, Spector added that he doesn’t expect Walman’s deal to be completed until McDavid’s extension is announced.
Walman is in the final season of a three-year deal that carries a $3.4 million cap hit.
Jake Walman’s agent, Wade Arnott, was in EDM yesterday to speak with the Oilers on an extension.
We suspect that no contract gets done before the McDavid extension is announced. But things can change.— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) September 13, 2025
The Oilers have liked what they’ve gotten from the 29-year-old defender since trading for him at last year’s deadline. Walman appeared in 15 regular-season games for Edmonton last year, but really made his mark during their run to the Stanley Cup Final.
During that playoff run, Walman established himself as a versatile top-four defender and helped the team absorb the loss of Mattias Ekholm through the first three rounds.
Walman is a left-handed defender but was used on both sides of the ice by the Oilers last season. Coming into the new year, the expectation is that Walman will slide over to the right side to help solidify Edmonton’s second pair alongside somebody like Darnell Nurse.
The long-term plan for Walman may be for him to eventually take over Ekholm’s spot on the left side of the top pair with Evan Bouchard.
There is no doubt that the Toronto native will be getting a significant raise from his current contract. A long-term deal around the five-to-six-year range would make the most sense for both sides, with the cap hit ideally coming around $5.5-$6.5 million. However, with the cap expected to balloon to $113.5 million in just a few years, that could affect what Walman’s camp is asking for.
It feels like there are a few things the Oilers are waiting to get going on, but they are waiting to take care of McDavid first. There is potential that the team could have a few moves coming after they lock down their captain, with a Walman extension being one of them.