Jake Walman Wants to Change What the Oilers See This Season

You sort of have to wonder why Jake Walman is talking about conditioning as training camp opens in Edmonton. It would be easy to read this as one of those September hockey stories where a player says he feels better, everybody nods, and we wait for the games to start. Walman, though, probably has a little more riding on this than that.

He played just 53 games for the Oilers last season, scoring eight goals and putting up 20 points while averaging 18:45 a night. The problem wasn't really finding ways for Walman to contribute. It was keeping him on the ice and getting enough consistency out of his game.

Now he says he spent the offseason working on his conditioning. He reportedly looked a little lighter Wednesday as Edmonton opened camp. That’s nothing but good.

What interests me is the difference between conditioning and staying healthy.

Conditioning isn't just about surviving 82 games. For a defenceman like Walman, it can change how he plays. If he's feeling good late in a shift, late in a game and late in the season, maybe he's more willing to jump into the play. Maybe he gets involved offensively instead of thinking first about conserving energy. Maybe he can move the puck and push the pace the way Edmonton wants. That matters for the Oilers. Better conditioning can help durability, but doesn’t necessarily prevent injuries.

Edmonton doesn't need Walman simply to stand around and defend. The Oilers need him moving his feet, making the first pass, keeping plays alive and joining the attack when the opportunity is there. That's probably the bigger story here. It seems that, although Walman isn't trying to become somebody completely different, he is trying to improve what he can. He wants to be a better player, and he’s announcing that in sort of a left-handed way.

Walman is trying to get back to being the player Edmonton thought it was acquiring.

And there is something very human about that. A player gets to the end of a season, looks at 53 games and realizes that availability has become part of the conversation. So he spends the summer working on the part of his game he can control.

Now comes the harder part. He has to show it. Training camp doesn't prove much. Everybody feels good in September. Everybody has fresh legs. The real test comes when the games pile up, the shifts get harder, and the body starts reminding everybody that an NHL season is a long one.

For Walman, though, this is a pretty good place to start. The Oilers know what he can do when he's moving well. Now they get to find out whether a healthier, better-conditioned Walman can do it often enough.