Red Wings Give Contract Extension To Jake Walman

The Detroit Red Wings made another signing, and once again, it's not the one fans were expecting. The team extended Jake Walman for three more years at $3.4 million AAV. After Detroit signed Olli Maatta, the expectation was that Walman would be a prime trade candidate on a cheap expiring contract. But since the Red Wings pulled themselves right into the playoff picture and the 27-year-old defenceman has been a big part of the back-end, Steve Yzerman and company thought it was an easy decision.

Walman is not known for his offence, but has been a solid piece for most of the season on the left side. He has been skating alongside Moritz Seider on the top pairing for a while, and after averaging less than 16 minutes of ice time per game over the first 10 games of the season, he is up to 20 minutes of ice time each night over the past 30.

Considering where he's playing in the lineup and the value he brings, $3.4 million AAV is a great deal for the team and for the player based on how things started. The Red Wings' left side is now locked up for the next two seasons with Ben Chiarot, Walman, and Maatta all under contract through 2024-25. Where that leaves Simon Edvinsson remains to be seen. It is likely the sixth overall pick in 2021 is ready to step into a big role in the NHL sooner than that.