Oilers' latest trade acquisition makes his thoughts extremely clear on being linemates with Leon Draisaitl

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Jake Walman shared his thoughts about being linemates with superstar Leon Draisaitl following the 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

Walman, acquired from the San Jose Sharks on March 6, scored his first goal as an Oiler in the victory. When asked about playing alongside Draisaitl rather than defending against him, Walman said:

"I’ve said it a bunch — it’s nice being on this side, for sure. When I see him and Connor (McDavid) rolling around, it’s a lot better being on this side of it. Happy to be a part of it."

Walman tied the game at 1-1 19 seconds into the second period, beating Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill far post for his first tally with Edmonton. When asked about the feeling of scoring as an Oiler, Walman said:

"Yeah, it felt great. I think I’ve been getting my chances, so it was nice to see that one go in. We have a great group of guys, and that was a tough battle against a tough team, but we played well.

“The biggest thing is just fitting in, playing well, and letting that stuff take care of itself. So happy it went in, though, and happy we got the win.”

Leon Draisaitl and Victor Arvidsson also scored for the Oilers, while Calvin Pickard made 20 saves in net. Nicolas Roy and Pavel Dorofeyev tallied goals for Vegas, with Hill stopping 17 shots in the loss.

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Game recap: Oilers 3-2 win against Vegas

Nicolas Roy opened the scoring for the Golden Knights early in the first after a Draisaitl turnover led to a rush. Walman then tied it 19 seconds into the second.

Draisaitl regained the lead on a 5-on-3 power play, blasting in his NHL-leading 52nd goal from the left dot at 16:03. Arvidsson increased the lead to 3-1 at 18:20, slipping the puck under Hill. Vegas challenged for goalie interference, but the call on the ice stood after review.

Dorofeyev brought Vegas back within one at 2:35 of the third, firing a wrist shot through traffic.

“It looked like maybe it was a game plan to put them to sleep and then we would take over in the second period. The execution wasn't there, you know, missed passes, going offside, not able to generate very much just because we were just ending plays,” Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch said.

"We get a goal, and that gives us a lot more life. Our game was a lot better after that.”

With the win, the Oilers improved to 43-26-5 on the season, tied for second in the Pacific Division, with 91 points.