They say when it rains, it pours. But sometimes a downpour can be just what a franchise needs. For the Edmonton Oilers, this one might feel like a blessing after a barren summer leading up to the 2025–26 NHL season. In the blink of an eye, a key player has been re-signed—just in time to join Connor McDavid in his celebration.
Jake Walman hasn’t been around in Edmonton for long, but he’s already built great chemistry with McDavid and the Oilers. When things simply click right away, there is no need to ever change them. The brass in the Gateway to the North learned that lesson as they are locking the blueliner for the long-haul.
“[McDavid’s extension] is not the only piece of business Edmonton is doing today,” insider Elliotte Friedman reported on his X account. “Hearing the Oilers are also closing in on a 7x7M extension with Jake Walman.”
Here comes the money
As poetic as it may sound, it’s no less true. After arriving in Edmonton, Walman struck oil. He had been playing for one of the NHL’s worst teams in San Jose, where the young talents are rising but the championship hopes are not. Since being traded to Northern Alberta, Walman has become a fan favorite in town—and the front office is paying him as such.
Signing a seven-year, $49 million contract is quite the pay raise for the 29-year-old blueliner, who is set to enter the final season of his three-year, $10.4 million deal. He originally signed it with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023, but it carried over to his stints in San Jose and later in Edmonton. Now, Walman has job security—as well as a nice figure showing in his bank account.
The numbers add up
Signing McDavid and Walman to new contracts in such short notice obviously comes at a price for the Oilers. Regardless, it’s one the front office in Edmonton won’t even bother looking at. Not many things in the NHL are, but keeping the core together in the Gateway to the North may very well be priceless. Moreover, the brass knows they are in for an increased budget.
“With McDavid ($12.5M AAV) and Walman’s ($7M AAV) extensions, the Oilers have slightly over $81.286M dedicated to next season’s salary cap, which is projected to hit $104M (though many expect that figure to climb),” as reported by The Fourth Period on X (formerly Twitter).
Drop the puck
Now that the offseason drama can be put to rest in Edmonton, it’s time for McDavid, Walman, and the Oilers to get back to work ahead of the 2025–26 NHL season. Make no mistake: no team will back down from a fight with Edmonton because of the new contracts signed.
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If the Oilers need any evidence of that, the Calgary Flames will gladly show just how little they care about Edmonton’s good news—and how much they’d love to spoil the party and send their rivals’ season off to a rough start.