Edmonton Oilers injury report: Curtis Lazar out a week, Jake Walman misses third period
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 4, 2026 (10:48)
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Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Curtis Lazar is out at least a week and Jake Walman left early, a brutal Edmonton Oilers hit as the NHL trade deadline looms.
Kris Knoblauch delivered it on the record, and the clip is making the rounds on X. Walman "isn't expected to be too serious," but he didn't play the third.
Lazar's absence matters because he's not a luxury piece. He's the quiet glue shift that keeps your bench from melting.
Lazar, 31, went 17th overall in 2013, first round, Ottawa Senators. Edmonton has him on a one-year, $775,000 cap hit that expires after 2025-26 as a UFA.
The production is modest, 3-2-5 in 38 games, but his value is role clarity.
Walman is a different kind of problem. He's played like a top-four driver at times, sitting at 8-10-18 in 33 games.
His current cap hit is $3.4 million through 2025-26, and Edmonton already committed long-term with an extension that kicks in next year at $7.0 million AAV.
Jake Walman injury forces Edmonton Oilers to improvise
Oilers fans know this feeling, the moment a defender disappears after the second intermission and your stomach drops.
If Walman misses time, the blue line pairing puzzle gets loud fast. The puck exits get sloppier, and the second wave on the man advantage loses a clean distributor.
With Lazar out, Knoblauch loses a safety valve down the middle. That can push harder matchups onto other depth forwards and drag top-six guys into extra defensive-zone starts.
Edmonton is 30-24-8 right now, and every point matters in a Pacific logjam.
The cleanest short-term "why" is simple hockey. Keep shifts short, protect the slot, and don't ask your third pair to beat forechecks on its own.
Next up is March 6 against the Carolina Hurricanes. If Walman's back, you breathe easier.
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New Jersey Devils want top-six forward upgrade, trade calls open for Simon Nemec
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| POLL | ||
MARS 4|125 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers injury report: Curtis Lazar out a week, Jake Walman misses third period Should the Edmonton Oilers make a depth add if Curtis Lazar misses more time? | ||
| Yes | 95 | 76 % |
| No | 30 | 24 % |
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