No team has two Norris caliber guys first pair. He’s damn solid but not Norris level. I’m thinking Seider is going to be Norris level in the near future.
(Now someone is gonna chime in with a post salary cap team that did in fact have two Norris candidates on the first pair)
uknownick
As long as he works well with Seider and maximizes the two as a pair.
Mendoza8914
Unrelated to Walman, but if you extrapolated Lindstrom’s plus-minus over a full season he’d have the 5th worst plus-minus in the league and that’s while playing third-pairing minutes.
Salamangra
Walman is legit. Yeah, some of it might be playing with and knowing how to play with Seider, but he’s a good d-man in his own right. Good skating, great shot, he’s physical, doesn’t pussy out of confrontations. He’s legit. I like him a lot.
VacayJavier
He has made leaps and bounds this year. His confidence shows nightly. I think he can be a top pairing, Seider and him just need to be in tune which I felt they were for the most part this year (once they finally got paired). Walman definitely pushes it on the offensive end, but I feel he has the skill to do that. He makes a lot of moves at the blue line that create space and scoring chances. I think you need that out of your first pair D in doses. We all know Seider is a our cornerstone, I thought Walman complimented him very well this year.
coltron57
I view him as somewhere in between those two designations. He’s a guy who is good enough to play on the first pair complementing a better defenseman, but I’m not sure he’d look as good if he were THE guy on that first pair. Granted we haven’t had to try that out. He’s looked quite good with Seider, so I’m cool with keeping him in that role until it makes sense to try something else. Not every first pair has to have two great defensemen and sometimes the whole is greater than the some of its parts. I mean when Erik Karlsson was doing prime Erik Karlsson things for Ottawa, his partner was Marc Methot. Walman is more dynamic than Methot ever was, but if he can be Seider’s “Methot”, that’s all we need.
BellsBeerBestBeer
Individually he seems like a firmly top 4 defenseman, but his chemistry with Seider is so good you just have to put him on the top pairing.
mikeeagle6
I’d say he’s definitely got the spot for now, and probably at least for the next year, possibly two based on his play this year. Beyond that is TBD pending how he continues to play as we move into our competitive window and development of other players in the system/other roster moves.
ltroberts24
I think Seider is a Top-2 defenseman, the Wings’ only legit Top-2 guy *right now*… Jake Walman is a Top-4 guy… good enough to not anchor Seider (see: DeKeyser/Chiarot) and good enough to contribute, but probably better suited for the second pair. He’s got excellent chemistry with Big Mo, and it’s awesome because if Edvinsson can lock down another Top-4 role, Määtta, Chiarot, or an off-season acquisition can help this defense go from “middling” to “good” next season.
ahauck
I think Walman sticks on our first pair because of what it gets us out of Seider. Sometimes you get more out of a pairing than the sum of the two players on their own, and that’s what I think we have with Walman and Mo.
It feels like every great defenseman found their guy at some point: not always the best, not always the most skilled, but their foil that covered their weaknesses and amplified their strengths. I’m hoping Walman is that guy for Seider.
AltruisticBuffalo0
Walman is a top 4 d-man. Ideally Edvinson is a true first pair d-man. Then we have Seider / walman and Ed / someone as the top 4. Splitting two true first pair D-men allows you to control close to 50 mins of the game when needed (playoffs).
Walman may keep getting better. This is a warm take but I think he might be the best skater on the team.
What we need to round out this team is a true goal scoring superstar winger. I think we trade for that after next season.
Box_of_leftover_lego
I’m all in on the Walman War Wagon.
Fuck ALL of the haters.
reddit_again__
Plus minus isn’t a good start without context, but in this context, his plus minus is really good. He has everyone else on that list beat by 11.
GoodBloke86
I think his +/- speaks volumes
Deraj2004
Walman is not only good on D but he has shown he is a legitimate threat on offense, the man has has hands.
Ben_Pharten
Walman could keep improving but it he stays strictly where he’s at, we need to make a trade.
IJoeyFreshwaterI
Seems like very reliable D man. Look at the rest of the +/- in that pic. Can skate and move the puck. Seider s play escalated as well. No issue with him staying there
pantsfreeliving
To me, it’s about the pair and not the individuals. If he complements Mo, he’s a first pairing guy.
19 Comments
He’s Bonafide!
He’s probably our 1st pair for a good long while.
No team has two Norris caliber guys first pair. He’s damn solid but not Norris level. I’m thinking Seider is going to be Norris level in the near future.
(Now someone is gonna chime in with a post salary cap team that did in fact have two Norris candidates on the first pair)
As long as he works well with Seider and maximizes the two as a pair.
Unrelated to Walman, but if you extrapolated Lindstrom’s plus-minus over a full season he’d have the 5th worst plus-minus in the league and that’s while playing third-pairing minutes.
Walman is legit. Yeah, some of it might be playing with and knowing how to play with Seider, but he’s a good d-man in his own right. Good skating, great shot, he’s physical, doesn’t pussy out of confrontations. He’s legit. I like him a lot.
He has made leaps and bounds this year. His confidence shows nightly. I think he can be a top pairing, Seider and him just need to be in tune which I felt they were for the most part this year (once they finally got paired). Walman definitely pushes it on the offensive end, but I feel he has the skill to do that. He makes a lot of moves at the blue line that create space and scoring chances. I think you need that out of your first pair D in doses. We all know Seider is a our cornerstone, I thought Walman complimented him very well this year.
I view him as somewhere in between those two designations. He’s a guy who is good enough to play on the first pair complementing a better defenseman, but I’m not sure he’d look as good if he were THE guy on that first pair. Granted we haven’t had to try that out. He’s looked quite good with Seider, so I’m cool with keeping him in that role until it makes sense to try something else. Not every first pair has to have two great defensemen and sometimes the whole is greater than the some of its parts. I mean when Erik Karlsson was doing prime Erik Karlsson things for Ottawa, his partner was Marc Methot. Walman is more dynamic than Methot ever was, but if he can be Seider’s “Methot”, that’s all we need.
Individually he seems like a firmly top 4 defenseman, but his chemistry with Seider is so good you just have to put him on the top pairing.
I’d say he’s definitely got the spot for now, and probably at least for the next year, possibly two based on his play this year. Beyond that is TBD pending how he continues to play as we move into our competitive window and development of other players in the system/other roster moves.
I think Seider is a Top-2 defenseman, the Wings’ only legit Top-2 guy *right now*… Jake Walman is a Top-4 guy… good enough to not anchor Seider (see: DeKeyser/Chiarot) and good enough to contribute, but probably better suited for the second pair. He’s got excellent chemistry with Big Mo, and it’s awesome because if Edvinsson can lock down another Top-4 role, Määtta, Chiarot, or an off-season acquisition can help this defense go from “middling” to “good” next season.
I think Walman sticks on our first pair because of what it gets us out of Seider. Sometimes you get more out of a pairing than the sum of the two players on their own, and that’s what I think we have with Walman and Mo.
It feels like every great defenseman found their guy at some point: not always the best, not always the most skilled, but their foil that covered their weaknesses and amplified their strengths. I’m hoping Walman is that guy for Seider.
Walman is a top 4 d-man. Ideally Edvinson is a true first pair d-man. Then we have Seider / walman and Ed / someone as the top 4. Splitting two true first pair D-men allows you to control close to 50 mins of the game when needed (playoffs).
Walman may keep getting better. This is a warm take but I think he might be the best skater on the team.
What we need to round out this team is a true goal scoring superstar winger. I think we trade for that after next season.
I’m all in on the Walman War Wagon.
Fuck ALL of the haters.
Plus minus isn’t a good start without context, but in this context, his plus minus is really good. He has everyone else on that list beat by 11.
I think his +/- speaks volumes
Walman is not only good on D but he has shown he is a legitimate threat on offense, the man has has hands.
Walman could keep improving but it he stays strictly where he’s at, we need to make a trade.
Seems like very reliable D man. Look at the rest of the +/- in that pic. Can skate and move the puck. Seider s play escalated as well. No issue with him staying there
To me, it’s about the pair and not the individuals. If he complements Mo, he’s a first pairing guy.