A $49 Million Mistake?: Oilers Being Criticized for Hasty Signing

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Jake Walman was the extra skater at practice for the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, suggesting he might be a healthy scratch again Saturday as the Edmonton Oilers take on the New York Islanders. Walman sat against the Calgary Flames and the Oilers played one of their better games of the season, winning 4-0 in a dominant performance. It looks like head coach Mike Babcock is rolling with a similar setup.

That has people asking the same question: was signing Jake Walman a mistake?

It’s far too early to call the blueliner a write-off, but there are reasons for concern. Given that he’s making big money and keeps working his way down the lineup, Edmonton has committed big money to a player whose motivation and desire to work hard have been questioned. He’s been injury-prone at times, and while he claimed he was ready for whatever role after a subpar 2025-26 season, this year things are looking even worse.

“You should for sure ask him,” said Babcock while responding to a question about how Walman will take being made a healthy scratch. It was clear that wasn’t Babcock’s concern.

Babcock called out Walman for being in the wrong spots over and over again, and that’s why he was pulled. It doesn’t appear to be a one-game message, either. “My job is to make the decision to help the team win, and that’s what I do.”

Walman responded to being sat: “It’s obviously not fun being out… I’ve been through some tough times in my career, but they make me stronger. I know that for sure, and I believe in myself. So that’s where we are now.”

Are the Oilers Stuck With Walman?

What happens if this situation gets worse before it gets better? Given it looks like he’s already in the coach’s doghouse, there’s some work to do to get back in his good books. And if that doesn’t happen, the team will have to make a decision.

The long-term deal he signed is problematic if the Oilers feel like they swung too early. Walman had a great playoff when he first arrived on the team. He’s been making questionable decisions ever since. Walman has struggled defensively, making bad pinches and mistakes on routine plays. Babcock told us, “You guys watch the game once, and I watch the game lots, and I see those clips over and over and over again, and so if you’re in the wrong clips, pretty soon you’re in the wrong spot.”

Can he fix this? If not, will another team want a player like this on their roster? Walman has a full no-move clause as part of his deal. If the Oilers shop him, he has complete say over where he winds up.

$7 million per season doesn’t seem like much in his new, salary-cap-exploding NHL. Then again, it’s a big commitment to a defenseman who can’t maintain his spot on the third pairing and has worked himself out of the lineup, in part because there’s a belief he’s not motivated.

Next: Could Oilers Bring Back Polarizing Forward to Add Grit to Bottom-Six?