The Detroit Red Wings avoided arbitration and re-signed defenseman Jake Walman for one year, $1.05 million, but where he ultimately fits into their plans is a work in progress.
Walman, 26, was part the trade-deadline deal, along with Oskar Sundqvist and a 2023 second-round pick, that sent Nick Leddy to the St. Louis Blues. Walman (6 feet 2, 215 pounds) had no goals and four assists in 19 games with the Wings. He’ll miss the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason.
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The Wings haven’t given a timeline for his return, but if everyone else is healthy, Walman will find himself in a crowded job market. The Wings are deep on left-side defense, with general manager Steve Yzerman adding Ben Chiarot, Olli Määttä and Robert Hägg in free agency. Chiarot and Määttä project to be in the top four paired with Moritz Seider and Filip Hronek.
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There’s also 2021 first-round pick Simon Edvinsson, who is expected to challenge for a job with the Wings in his first season in North America. Edvinsson is currently playing for Sweden at the World Juniors, and earlier this summer impressed Yzerman at the Wings’ development camp.
Odds are Walman will be needed, though: Last season the Wings needed 12 defensemen to get through the season; the year before, it was 17.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.