Oilers Owe Red Wings a Thank You for Blue Line Trade Blunder

If not for the Detroit Red Wings dumping a top-four defenseman for little return, the Oilers don’t get a solid player at the deadline.

The Edmonton Oilers may not have pulled off one of the biggest trade steals, but they did add a solid top-four defenseman because the San Jose Sharks took advantage of a messy situation. The Oilers owe the Red Wings a thank-you for making it happen. Detroit’s mishandling of defenseman Jake Walman ultimately led to the Oilers acquiring him in a deal that has sparked plenty of criticism toward Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman.

Walman, who signed a contract extension with Detroit before being traded away as a salary cap casualty, found himself shipped to the San Jose Sharks in what was widely seen as an underwhelming and puzzling move. The Sharks — because they aren’t playoff contenders — then flipped him to the Oilers for a conditional first-round pick. If Walman had remained with the Red Wings, he arguably wouldn’t have been traded at this season’s deadline.

According to insider Andy Strickland, something happened behind the scenes that led to the Red Wings’ departure from Walman. While details remain scarce, Strickland hinted at a strained relationship between Walman and Detroit’s coaching staff, along with other undisclosed issues.

They didn’t just pay San Jose a second-round pick to get rid of Jake Walman,” Strickland said. “I heard there was something. I don’t believe his relationship with the coaching staff was the best, and there was some miscommunication on some stuff.”

Red Wing Loss was Oilers Gain with Walman

The trades came as a shock to Walman. He expressed disappointment at how Detroit handled the situation, saying he felt the team tossed him away.

While Detroit’s reasoning remains unclear, the Oilers are thankful things turned out the way things did. Had it been any team beyond the Sharks who picked Walman up, he likely stays put. Edmonton now has a legitimate blueliner who is on a reasonable contract this season and next. The Sharks wanted picks and the Oilers were willing to part with one to fill a hole.

Edmonton should be grateful for Detroit’s misstep. Head coach Kris Knoblauch said of the Walman trade: “Nice addition for our team. Adds a lot of speed. He’s a great guy to get the puck and get it out of pressure. His mobility is as good as anyone for a defenceman.”