Last season, Lalonde’s decision to pair Walman with defenseman Moritz Seider played a key role in helping unlock Walman’s potential.
“We mesh and vibe really well together,” Walman said about Seider. “We have each other’s backs. It’s important to really know somebody, and I think we do. We have that confidence in each other. When you know somebody really well, it’s easy to read off them. I think we’re just building and building the more we play together.”
The feeling is mutual, according to Seider.
“We just connect well off the ice,” Seider said on Sept. 21. “We have a lot in common. We like doing the same stuff. I just feel like I know what he’s doing out there, what he’s trying, where I should be to give him support and space to let him do his thing. It worked really well last year.”
Veteran forward David Perron said the continued success of Detroit’s top defensive pair is vital to the club’s future.
“He’s a guy who put in a lot of work in the summer to keep getting better as a player,” Perron said about Walman on Sept. 22. “He comes in in incredible shape every year. I’m excited because obviously if Jake and Mo can keep taking steps forward, it’s going to be a big reason why this team moves forward.”
At age 27, Walman is still coming into his own as a person, which the former third-round draft pick believes is carrying over into his game.
“It has been a lot of years of maturing,” Walman said. “Knowing where you fit in the lineup, what your role is and what you’re expected to do every night is how I play my game. I think that confidence is a huge part.”
Walman also expressed confidence in the Red Wings’ “solid d-core,” highlighting the offseason additions of experienced blueliners Justin Holl, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jeff Petry.
“There are guys who have been in those important games for other teams they have played on,” Walman said. “Definitely some veteran leadership that came in this year, so I think we’re deep. We all can lean and believe on each other, and that will carry us through the tough times.”
As far as goals for his second full campaign in Detroit, Walman is keeping things team oriented.
“I think there were stretches of last year that we, as a team, made strides,” Walman said. “A lot of guys achieved stuff personally, but it’s a new season. We have bigger expectations and look forward to carrying that through every game.”
Walman said the penalty kill is a specific area the Red Wings aim to keep improving upon. After finishing 32nd on the PK (73.8 percent) in 2021-22, Detroit ranked 18th (78.5 percent) last season.
“We want to be in the top third of the league for PK this year,” Walman said. “It’s our goal. It’s like defending, I think we take that pride in those matchups seriously. The PK is all about being tenacious, aggressive and on your toes. I think a lot of guys are excited to be on the PK, make a difference and gain momentum for the PK. We’ll keep building on that and just defend hard.”
So much of what Detroit believes it can accomplish this season will be driven by self-motivated players like Walman, who is eager for the challenge ahead.
“We have a great group of guys around and we all kind of build each other up,” Walman said. “Taking that next step is what we’re all working on. We’re all starting to believe that we can be a team that competes.”
