SAN JOSE >> Former Sharks defenseman Jake Walman just turned 29 in February. But in six NHL seasons, he’s already been traded three times, sustained his share of injuries, saw his ice time fluctuate as a younger player, and has often been his own worst critic.

Perhaps it’s all led Walman to where he is today: a confident and productive player and a significant part of an Edmonton Oilers lineup that hopes to reach the Stanley Cup Final for a second consecutive year.

“I’m really proud of where I am right now,” Walman said Wednesday, a day before the Oilers faced the Sharks at SAP Center. “I think all the adversity that I’ve dealt with a little bit in the beginning of my career kind of set me up for a time like this, and I think I’m just getting started in my career.”

The Sharks surprisingly sent Walman to the Stanley Cup-contending Oilers on March 6 as part of a massive pre-trade deadline selloff for a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick and AHL forward Carl Berglund.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier said after the March 7 deadline that entering this period, he did not intend to trade Walman or forward Fabian Zetterlund to the Ottawa Senators. Still, he felt both deals would help the franchise’s long-term outlook. The Sharks acquired Zack Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor, and a 2025 second-round draft selection in the Zetterlund trade.

Walman, acquired by the Sharks from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations in June 2024, had 32 points in 50 games with San Jose, averaging 23:11 in ice time. He was surprised by the trade, after he had played in all situations from day one, was on the Sharks’ top defense pair, and still had one more year left on his contract.

“He was good for us,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Walman. “I thought he grew a lot on and off the ice. He was a puck-moving defenseman for us, which we didn’t have a lot of, and played some big minutes, developing by playing games against teams’ top lines. He was an important player for us.”

“I just turned 29, but I’m still maturing every day and learning from older guys,” Walman said. “Doesn’t matter who, just taking pieces and like (Warsofsky) said, I think I’m really hard on myself. So maybe at the beginning of the year, when stuff wasn’t going well with our team, it was just harping and harping and just frustrated, but I’m learning how to deal with certain things.”

Walman been an ideal fit for the Oilers. Going into Thursday, Walman, in 12 games with Edmonton, had a goal and five assists and averaged more than 21 minutes in ice time.

“He’s been touching all bases,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said of Walman. “Whether it’s been on the power play, penalty kill, or 5-on-5. A very good puck-moving defenseman, obviously defends really well, but I think his biggest strength would be just how well he’s moved the puck.

“We wanted somebody who could do that for our team, just with the type of players that we had. We wanted to add a little more offense from our defense to complement the forwards that we have.”

While the Sharks hope to emerge soon from a deep rebuild, the veteran-laden Oilers appear capable of another deep playoff run after they lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers in last year’s Cup final.

“When you step in the room, it’s a different feel. Guys know what to expect, and a totally different situation,” Walman said. “But San Jose’s, for sure, got the building blocks to do that. (But) this team is a couple of steps ahead in that area.”

MUKHAMADULLIN UPDATE >> Shakir Mukhamadullin did not play Thursday, and it remains unclear whether the injured Sharks rookie defenseman will be able to return this season.

Warsofsky said Thursday that Mukhamadullin was still being evaluated after he sustained an upper-body injury early in the third period of the team’s game against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.

Warsofsky said Mukhamadullin has been around the Sharks’ practice facility but could not definitively say whether the 23-year-old will be available to play this month. The Sharks, already officially eliminated from playoff contention, now have just seven games remaining with their last game on April 16 at home, also against Edmonton.