Detroit Red Wings: Jake Walman playing above expectations right now

Although the Detroit Red Wings’ hot start has cooled off a bit, there are still plenty of reasons to be excited about certain aspects of the team. One of the things that has continued to impress is Jake Walman‘s play on the top pairing.

The Detroit Red Wings have run with Jake Walman and Moritz Seider on the top pairing for quite some time. For Detroit, it has come to be a pairing they can trust. Walman is off to a good start in 2023-24 and has been playing exceptionally well.

Walman’s potential is somewhat limited, and he’s probably best suited as a second-pairing defenseman. However, the Red Wings will take what they can get from the 27-year-old left-handed shot.

It’s still early in the 2023-24 season, but Walman has played well. He’s warranting his playing time and doing an excellent job on the blue line. Detroit has to continue giving him chances, especially if he will continue proving himself.

Detroit Red Wings defender Jake Walman has been exceptional early on.

Through Walman’s first 15 games of the 2023-24 season, he has been able to tap into some offense and get the job done alongside Seider. Walman has scored four goals and added three assists for seven total points.

The Red Wings have to be excited about Walman getting some points up there. On top of that, he’s scored a couple of goals over the Red Wings’ last few games, helping him add some more to his point totals.

Walman’s also a plus-four on the season, playing a shade under 21 minutes a night. While the Red Wings scored at an alarming rate early on, that has slowed a bit recently, but Walman’s still on the plus side of things.

For Walman, it has not just been points on the power play, either. He’s got a few assists on the power play but has also been able to get it done in 5-on-5 situations. Overall, he’s played a pretty fluid game alongside Seider in 2023-24, putting pucks on the net, and not being a liability in the defensive zone.

Frankly, he’s been pretty balanced overall, and Walman has been able to score a bit too. It’s been good to see Walman have this level of success. It feels like he’s playing above his performance level.

Detroit should be happy with how well things have gone for the defender in 2023-24. It may be early on, but it’s worth noting that Walman has been a solid piece of the puzzle in the team’s defense core and on that top pairing.