Player profile
Name: Jake Walman
DOB: February 20, 1996
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Size: 6’2” / 215 lbs
Drafted: 82nd overall (STL), 2014
2022-23 stats
GP: 63
PTS: 9G/9A
PIM: 45
Cap hit: $3,400,000 through 2025-26 (UFA)
Overall Grade: A-
If we’re talking purely expectations heading into last season, this is an easy A+. There were some intriguing flashes the previous season after he came over from St. Louis, and his fancystats showed promise, but he ultimately was a player who hadn’t found solid footing in the NHL at 26 years old and was coming into the season injured. I think even the most optimistic fans would have called it a successful season had he established himself as a reliable option for the third pairing, instead of flourishing up to the top pairing. The grade reflects how expectations changed during last season: he emerged as a valuable asset for the future of Red Wings, which is exactly why he was acquired. But as a first-pair defenseman, the bar is raised a little, and there are very few A+ first-pair defensemen around the league.
