PROJECTED LINEUP: Walman poised to make first Oilers appearance against Dallas

EDMONTON, AB – It's time to Jake & Bake.

Defenceman Jake Walman will make his first appearance with the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night when they conclude a three-game homestand at Rogers Place against Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars.

Walman, who will be the first player in Oilers franchise history to wear No. 96, was acquired from the San Jose Sharks before Friday's Trade Deadline and will come in to be an immediate contributor on the back end to Edmonton's Stanley Cup hopes for this season.

The 29-year-old has been waiting for an opportunity during his career like this one to play meaningful hockey games in March, April and June, and the Oilers will immediately benefit from his skill at moving the puck, skating ability and versatilty to play both sides of the blueline as a left-shot defenceman.

"I'm going to give it my all," Walman said pre-game. "I think I'm competitive, I love to win and kind of do anything to help the team. I use my skating. I feel like that's probably my biggest asset and then shooting the puck, but have a look up and down the lineup and obviously there are many great players.

"Just giving the puck to them and making them do the work and then just kind of getting open and doing my part and trying to fit in. So fit in as quickly as possible, and then the rest will fall."

Oilers captain Connor McDavid said he believes that Walman will be great addition to the Oilers dressing room along with forwards Max Jones and Trent Frederic, having experience playing against him when they were younger in the Greater Toronto Hockey League and six seasons of overlap in the NHL when he was with the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks.

"I think Wally can kind of do it all," McDavid said. "He's a bigger body, skates well, he's good with the puck, but I think he defends well and he plays hard. I don't think that he's just a puck-moving D man. I think he kind of does it all well and he's been asked to do everything in San Jose there, so we're going to ask much of the same and I'm sure he'll do a great job."

Walman's addition to the lineup will be the only change from Head Coach Kris Knoblauch from Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens, meaning defencemen Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg will remain out for a second straight game with minor injuries.

However, the bench boss said that both blueliners will travel on Edmonton's upcoming four-game road trip through New York and New Jersey to face the Sabres, Devils Islanders and Rangers.

Because of Ekholm and Klingberg's absences, Knoblauch mentioned that Walman's place on the blueline, position on the left or right side and his potential D partners will remain fluid in the early going as he adjusts to his new team and role.

"I don't think we're going to say this is who he's going to be playing with, because somebody's going to move to the right side or maybe not," Knoblauch said. "Maybe we do have right side guys and left, whatever it is, but we have to decide what's best having our top six players and then go with our pairs after that.

"But right now, I don't think there's any hurry for that. He's going to have a couple games with one for sure, maybe two with Ekholm, where he'll be playing a much more significant role. You're missing a key guy like Ekholm. Everyone's going to be playing a little bit more, so I don't think there's any hurry to say this is who your partner is."

Walman won't be the only No. 96 making his debut with his new club, with the Dallas Stars welcoming Mikko Rantanen to their fold on Saturday following his second significant move before the Trade Deadline after being dealt from the Carolina Hurricanes.

"He's big, he's strong, he can score, so it's going to give us a lot more trouble," Knoblauch said of Rantanen. "But you know, I don't think our game plan changes at all. We're just playing another good player that they added."

View the Oilers Projected Lineup vs. Dallas below:

[Update: 7:40 pm MST]

Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Hyman
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Janmark - Henrique - Brown
Jones - Kapanen - Perry

Nurse - Walman
Kulak - Bouchard
Stecher - Emberson

Skinner
Pickard