Sharks make confusing Jake Walman decision vs Blue Jackets

The San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings got together during the offseason on a trade that had many fans left scratching their heads. Popular defenseman Jake Walman was sent to the Sharks along with a second-round Draft selection in exchange for future considerations.

The decision was particularly puzzling given that Walman had primarily played on Detroit's top defensive pairing alongside Moritz Seider. After joining San Jose, he was initially placed on the first pairing with fellow offseason acquisition Cody Ceci.

However, ahead of Tuesday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a surprising Sharks lineup change was announced. According to head coach Ryan Warsofsky, Walman has been designated a healthy scratch. And Walman is naturally frustrated , via The Hockey News.

"My initial reaction is, I'm a competitor, and I want to play," Walman said. "It's the coach's decision [and] I'll respect the conversation that we had."

"[Warsofsky] knows how bad I want to be out there, and I think the guys around the locker room know as well," Walman continued. "Kind of a little surprise with other guys, like when I told them. It's a little bit frustrating, obviously, and they're frustrated too. So, yeah, like I said, I don't know. Having a good group of guys means a lot, and I don't think it needs to be blown up out of proportion."

Warofsky understands the frustration on Walman's part.

"He's frustrated. I think everyone wants to play," Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofksy said. "Klim [Kostin] and Givani [Smith] would say the same thing, but that's the coach's decision."

The Sharks take on the Blue Jackets starting at 10:30 PM EST.

Jake Walman leads all Sharks defensemen in points

The trade, which puzzled many fans, brought the offensively skilled Walman to the Sharks. So far in his brief time with San Jose, he's proven to be productive.

In 13 games, Walman has tallied nine points, leading all Sharks defensemen. He's also tied with Ceci for the team lead in average ice time, logging 22:42 per game. As he puts it, he's expecting that he'll only be missing Tuesday's game against Columbus.

"In the end, even if not happy about not being out there, it's respecting the decision," Walman said. "[I'm just going to] be better for it in the end and come back stronger and ready to go. Ready to be a leader."

San Jose will next take the ice on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Whether or not Walman returns to the lineup remains to be seen.