Oilers coach Mike Babcock explains Jake Walman scratch vs. Rangers

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The Oilers coach Mike Babcock explains JakeEdmonton Oilers are off to a terrific start in 2026-27, winning 12 times in 18 tries and leading the Pacific Division in the early going.

The same can’t be said for Jake Walman, who has managed just one assist in 11 contests, along with a minus-eight rating. He’s set to be a healthy scratch for the fifth time in the last seven games when the Oilers welcome the New York Rangers to Rogers Place on Monday night.

Head coach Mike Babcock explained the decision after the team’s morning skate.

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“I just think the bottom line is: what do you do without the puck? What chances are you involved in? What do you do when you have it?” Babcock told reporters, including Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s Michael Menzies. “And it’s a hard, hard league, and so each and every night, we evaluate the whole situation, and unlike you guys who watch it once, we watch it over and over again with five people, and so we got a pretty good handle on the thing.

“Then, lots of times, the analytics from the outside aren’t what we have on the inside, and so what we do is we just try to make the best decisions to help the team be successful. At the same time, we’re trying to build everybody up so they can be the best version of themselves. And sometimes it’s hard when it’s not going your way.”

Walman is the second-highest-paid defenseman on the Oilers and is in the first season of a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million that runs through 2032-33.

When he is in the lineup, he’s playing under 14 minutes per game and mainly seeing time on the bottom pairing. He also hasn’t been credited with a hit this season, per NHL.com, a notable contrast with Babcock’s preference for a physical style.

Edmonton will go with Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard on the top pairing, Ryan Shea and Connor Murphy on the second, and Ty Emberson and Shakir Mukhamudullin on the third.

Oilers coach Mike Babcock explains Jake

Emberson has managed two assists in 14 games, while Mukhamudullin has chipped in a goal over 13 contests.

Puck drops just past 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Place, with Devon Levi set to get his second straight start after missing seven games with a lower-body injury.