Oilers Have Moved Beyond Sending a Message To Jake Walman

The Edmonton Oilers, specifically head coach Mike Babcock, have been sending a message to Jake Walman. It's not clear if he's received it or Babcock isn't done sending it, but the minutes the defenseman has been playing of late suggest there's a lot more going on than just the coach trying to prove a point. 

On Thursday night, in a 5-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Walman played just 12:18. This after a game against the New Jersey Devils where he played even fewer minutes, a season-low 11:46. He's not on the ice in critical moments, and Babcock didn't even put him on the ice as the Oilers were down three goals and trying to mount a comeback. 

That says a lot, given that the one thing Walman does well is shoot and provide a potential offensive boost from the blue line. 

What gives?

Allan Mitchell of The Athletic notes:

Babcock has said Walman is too good not to be an important part of the Oilers success, yet he's treating him as anything but. 

Frankly, if there's a doghouse, Walman is in it. 

So the question becomes, why even dress him?

Given that the Oilers have another reliable option in Ty Emberson, wouldn't it make more sense to play Emberson his typical 12-16 minutes than to bring in Walman and barely use him? If the plan isn't to use Walman's strengths, wouldn't it better serve the Oilers to go with a player they trust in a depth role?

After all, Babcock did admit that Walman's return wasn't meant to be a message to Emberson, who had to come out of the lineup to make room. "Emby did nothing wrong. So let's clear that up right away here. It's just a matter of the rotation, and now it's on Wally to get to work and gain his confidence back, feel good about himself, and play the way he's capable of playing."

Only Walman isn't being given the chance. Right now, it's clear there's little to no trust.

The answer might be to go all-in and give Walman a real chance to impress his coach. Help him help himself by pairing him with the team's best defenseman, Evan Bouchard. That idea carries real risk, though. Bouchard is far more effective when paired with Mattias Ekholm or Ryan Shea. Do you really want to take away from his game to prop up Walman, who seems to be lacking a bit of motivation?

The other option might be a trade; that, also, feels unlikely. Walman is in the first year of a seven-year contract extension. That deal carries a full no-move clause. It would take Walman wanting out and agreeing to a trade for that to even be a conversation starter. It's also a lot of term for a team to happily take on. 

The Oilers have decided that the solution is to slowly push Walman back into the fold by taking baby steps. It's not what should have to happen with a defenseman that the Oilers invested heavily in, but it appears to be the gameplan. 

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