NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Carolina Hurricanes – Source: Imagn

Connor McDavid shared his thoughts on Jake Walman joining the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers acquired Walman from the San Jose Sharks on Friday. In return, the Sharks received a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and forward prospect Carl Berglund.

After Saturday’s practice, McDavid said he has known Walman for a long time. McDavid believes Walman will help strengthen the team’s defense.

“Wally’s a great player. Kind of grew up playing against him, playing with him, know him well. Solid, big body, skates well, defends well. He’ll help back there.” McDavid said to the media.

"Wally's a great player. Kind of grew up playing against him, playing with him, know him well. Solid, big body, skates well, defends well. He'll help back there."

Connor McDavid on the addition of Jake Walman to the #Oilers blueline.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/cBxbf6GrUv

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 8, 2025

Jake Walman is having his best NHL season, with 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in 50 games. He has one season left on his three-year, $10.2 million contract. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He has played 252 regular-season games for the Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and Sharks. He has also appeared in one Stanley Cup Playoff game.

Berglund, now with San Jose, has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 45 games with Bakersfield of the AHL. The 25-year-old signed with Edmonton as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He is in the final season of his entry-level contract.

The Oilers, with a 36-22-4 record, are second in the Pacific Division. They are six points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the first spot.

Jake Walman was excited after joining the Oilers

Jake Walman has also expressed excitement about joining the Edmonton Oilers. After Saturday’s practice, Walman said he felt both excited and nervous. He was also happy to see familiar faces, including Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

“Working on a little bit of excitement and nerve,” Walman said. “So be ready to go. It’s exciting time… I mean, it’s, I guess you can compare it to like a dream,” Walman said. “Kind of you walk in, you seen things for the first time. Yeah, I got to pinch myself a little bit.

“It’s cool for me being back seeing Connor. Know a bunch of guys familiar, bunch of guys on the team, and bunch of new faces. So I’m excited to get going. And, yeah, just really excited.”

Jake Walman also spoke about his goal of playing meaningful games. He said he always wanted to be part of a team with a chance to win. Now, he looks forward to contributing as the Oilers push for the playoffs.