Edmonton Oilers' new additions beefing up the physicality

Yahoo

09-03-2025

If the Edmonton Oilers were worried they didn't address their most pressing need at the trade deadline, Jake Walman wasted no time putting those fears to rest.
In his debut since being traded from the San Jose Sharks for a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick and prospect forward Carl Berglund, Walman didn't only make an impact on the stats sheet in Saturday's 5-4 win over the visiting Dallas Stars, but on opposing players as well.
Despite just arriving in the city, he turned right around and pulled out the Welcome Wagon for Stars star acquisition Mikko Rantanen with an open-ice hit in the second period the likes of which hasn't been seen in Edmonton since before Evander Kane finally decided to go under the knife. (The first time, that is).
But by then, Walman already made his presence felt by dishing a Hail Mary of a saucer pass that was expertly trapped by Zach Hyman on a breakaway that gave Edmonton its first lead of the game, 2-1.
While the Stars marched back from a 5-1 deficit to make it a one-goal game in the end, the Oilers were able to withstand the barrage by a Stars squad that not only better than they were 24 hours earlier, but threw absolutely everything they had Edmonton's way.
And the Oilers got the result they wanted not once but twice in a row without the services of their top defensive player, Mattias Ekholm, who sat out his first two games of the season taking care of a minor injury to gear up for a big playoff push.
So, yeah. Walman, in one fell swoop, showed his new team he has what it takes to help them out. Now, they just hope he can continue to prove them right in their trade-deadline decision.
'I thought that was a heck of a start. The pass that he made on the Hyman goal, just the composure breaking the pucks out,' said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. 'The second period, he had that big hit in the offensive zone (on Rantanen), blocking the blue line, getting pucks through.
'There's so much we liked about his game. Sometimes as a player, you have that adrenaline and you're really excited about that one, but I think we'll see a lot of play like he did tonight, and that's why management thought very highly of him to trade for him, which I think is really going to pay off for us.'
Walman wasn't the only incoming piece last week, of course. The Oilers also brought in Trent Frederic and Max Jones — a tag team of former Boston Bruins heavy hitters coming down the aisle weighing a combined 437 pounds and standing six-foot-three.
While Frederic is still recovering from a pre-existing ankle injury, Jones also wasted no time making is presence felt one game earlier, where he also introduced himself to Oilers fans by throwing his body around and — by strange coincidence — sending a long saucer pass down the ice for a breakaway goal, this one by Corey Perry, in his debut in a 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens.
And the physicality is only going to continue to get cranked up once Frederic and his formidable fists get tossed in the mix, (much to the dismay of Kasperi Kapanen and Jeff Skinner, who will find themselves the odd-men out the rest of the way).
'I think everybody can chip in with the physicality,' Knoblauch said. 'Speaking of physicality, Jones these two games has really provided an element that we've been missing. (Saturday) night he played about eight minutes, five hits. Very similar the night before.
'So, adding a little bit of speed and physicality, which is good for our team.'
As will be the return of Ekholm in the top pairing with Evan Bouchard, and fellow injured blue-liner John Klingberg, who will return in the third pairing with Brett Kulak, who is quietly putting together a career year at both ends of the ice.
For now, that leaves Walman playing in the second pairing on his off-side alongside left defenceman Darnell Nurse, which didn't seem to bother him in the slightest Saturday.
'He hasn't played much on the right side, but for a guy who hasn't played much on the right side, he looked pretty good,' Knoblauch said. 'So, there's a good chance those two are a regular pair, but I wouldn't say it's something that is set.'
For Walman, those are the little details. The big picture is he went from the worst team in the league to playing meaningful games again in less than 48 hours.
Back in his home country.
On the national broadcast.
'A little bit of a different vibe. Just really exciting for me,' he said. 'I had a bunch of family and friends watching.
'Growing up, I always watched Hockey Night in Canada, and being at this stage is probably the pinnacle of any sport. I'm just really excited to be a part of it.'
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On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge
Edmonton Oilers avert catastrophe, make statement at the same time
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