The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Jake Walman to a three-year contract extension.
Blockbuster trades might be all the rage these days, but that doesn't mean signings can't get their time in the spotlight, either.
The Detroit Red Wings kicked off deadline week with an important signing on Tuesday morning, agreeing to terms with defenseman Jake Walman on a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.4 million.
The details of the deal, such as its salary structure or the inclusion of any trade protection, have yet to be determined. The signing ties Walman to Detroit through the 2025-26 season.
It's amazing how much can change in a few months.
Back in March, the St. Louis Blues dealt Walman to the Red Wings as part of a package to acquire his supposed upgrade on defense, Nick Leddy. It wasn't a shock why the Blues would give up on Walman at that point. Walman had mustered six points in 32 games for the Blues back in 2021-22 while drawing in and out of the lineup all year, playing just under 12 minutes per night whenever he managed to draw in.
Clearly, he needed a fresh start. And Detroit offered him one.
Fast forward to the 2022-23 season, and Walman has flourished as a legitimate top-four defender on an up-and-coming team. Alongside Moritz Seider on the Red Wings' top pair, Walman has improved in all areas of the ice, racking up five goals and five assists for 10 points in 40 games thus far while logging nearly 19 minutes in average ice time. His emergence has helped Seider turn his season around after a difficult start and summarily thrust the Red Wings into the thick of the hotly contested Eastern Conference playoff hunt, finally giving the club tangible progress after years of rebuilding.
The three-year term might suggest that the Red Wings are somewhat wary of Walman regressing from his sparkling status this season. But even if he does take a step back, having a young and versatile defender like him locked in for just $3.4 million per year is some tidy business.
Stay tuned. The trade deadline is still three days away.