The San Jose Sharks on Thursday were reportedly on the verge of making their most surprising move of this NHL trade deadline season by sending Jake Walman, their most used and offensively prolific defenseman, to the Edmonton Oilers.
According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Oilers were on their way to acquiring Walman on Thursday, but roster constraint issues on Edmonton’s side prevented the deal from becoming official.
What the Sharks would get in return for the left-shot Walman remained unclear. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, who is based in Edmonton, reported that the Oilers could be sending a conditional draft pick and a prospect to San Jose.
The Sharks, as of late Thursday afternoon, had not announced any trade with the Oilers.
Walman, in his first year in San Jose, leads all Sharks defensemen with 32 points in 50 games this season. As a member of the Sharks’ top defense pair, Walman also leads all skaters with an average of 23:11 in ice time per game as he played in all situations.
Walman, along with a 2024 second round draft pick, was acquired by the Sharks from Detroit last June for future considerations in a move largely seen as a salary dump by the Red Wings. Walman is in the second year of a three-year, $10.2 million contract he signed with Detroit in Feb. 2023.
Before Thursday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, the Sharks had already traded goalie Vitek Vanecek and center Nico Sturm to the Florida Panthers in separate deals. In February, San Jose sent forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars, and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to the Avalanche in December.
Mario Ferraro, another defenseman signed through next season, has also been the subject of trade rumors. But while Ferraro’s name has been out there, little has been said about Walman, who is signed through next season and has provided some needed offense from the back end.
“Just play. I haven’t really done anything specifically to tune it out,” Ferraro told reporters Thursday morning when asked about trade rumors. “My job is here, that’s where it lies. We’ve got another game tonight, so just focus on that.”
Please check back for updates to this developing story.