Late-period goals were big boosts; 5-on-5 game was strong despite blown lead in third at 5-on-6; Blues played with a purpose in the first period, unlike Saturday at Ut

During the 2021-22 season, the St. Louis Blues dealt Jake Walman to the Detroit Red Wings as a part of the package to acquire Nick Leddy. At that juncture of his career, Walman was a young blueliner adjusting to the NHL.

However, after being moved to the Red Wings, Walman took a notable step forward in his development and blossomed into a key member of their blueline. In 2022-23, he scored nine goals and 18 points in 63 games. He then scored an impressive 12 goals and added nine assists in 63 contests in 2023-24.

After Walman's strong 2023-24 season, the Red Wings surprisingly dealt him with a 2024 second-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for future considerations. This trade may have freed up $3.4 million of cap space for the Red Wings, but it has already become a massive mistake for the Original Six club.

Walman, 28, has hit another new level since joining the Sharks. In 36 games, the Toronto, Ontario native has five goals and has already set new career highs with 21 assists and 26 points.

These are excellent numbers from Walman, but especially when noting that San Jose gave up nothing to acquire his contract and received a second-round pick in the package. He has become a key piece of the Sharks' roster as they continue their rebuild.

It will be intriguing to see how Walman builds on his season from here, but he has been a fantastic addition to San Jose so far.

In 57 games over three seasons with the Blues, Walman had four goals, eight points, 47 hits, and a minus-3 rating.

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