The Oilers are trying to close in on a contract extension with Jake Walman, and NHL analyst Zach Laing of 'Oilers Nation' believes it could exceed a $6 million AAV. Jake Walman was a great addition for the Edmonton Oilers last year. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-defenseman-jake-walman-sends-a-message-to-the-fans-before-his-highly-anticipated-debut' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Acquired at the deadline</a> for a conditional first-round draft pick, he impressed immediately and kept playing well all playoff long. A lot of Jake Walman's popularity stemmed from his team-friendly contract. Signed through next season at a $3.4 million cap hit, he represented tremendous value, especially considering his excellent on-ice contribution, graded above first-pairing level by Hockey Viz. Now 29 and in the last year of his contract, Walman will be an unrestricted free agent next July. Having made a career total of just over $10 million (according to PuckPedia), he'll be looking for a big bump. Oilers insider Bob Stauffer has suggested the team might attempt to sign him to an extension before the end of August. Evolving Hockey forecasts, <a href='https://oilersnation.com/news/projecting-jake-walman-extension-edmonton-oilers' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>and reported by Zach Laing of Oilers Nation</a>, a six-year contract at a $6.278 million AAV as most probable, with an 18% likelihood. <h3>There are a Total of Three Possible Contract Scenarios Forecasted for Walman</h3> Some other options are a five-year deal at $6.079 million or a three-year contract at $5.074 million. There's talk from Bob Stauffer that the late-bloomer is one of the players the Oilers could be looking to sign to an extension by the end of August, but what would his contract look like? According to Evolving Hockey's contract projections, the most likely contract for Walman is a six-year deal carrying a $6.278-million cap hit. They predict an 18 percent chance of him signing such a contract, but there are other options, too. There's a 17 percent chance of him signing either a five-year or three-year contract extension. The five-year deal would carry a projected cap hit of $6.079-million, while the three-year deal would be at $5.074-million. - Zach Laing <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1952796045437698141'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Although he is almost 30, <a href='https://www.nhl.com/oilers/player/jake-walman-8478013' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Walman</a> does not have high mileage. He has played a total of 563 NHL, AHL, and NCAA games over the past decade. His mobility, along with his late-bloomer label, suggests that he may be able to play very well into his 30s. With the inflating NHL salary cap, a multi-year contract in the $6-7 million range, similar to recent extensions for the likes of Vladislav Gavrikov and Aaron Ekblad, seems likely. Based on his play and fit, inking Walman would be a good decision for the Oilers.