Jake Walman always knew he'd be a top-pairing defender, now he's proving it as a pending UFA

The defenseman is now the other big pending UFA in Detroit this season

You didn’t expect this. Neither did I. Neither did the Detroit Red Wings.

But Jake Walman says he knew coming into this season that he had a chance to be a top-pairing defender in the NHL.

Even with offseason shoulder surgery causing him to miss six weeks, Walman felt that in Detroit he had a chance to be on the top pair once he was healthy.

“I wouldn’t even say I’ve accomplished a goal, because that’s how you get stuck on things,” Walman said. “For me it’s everyday is a new day, that’s how I always thought about it, because of the adversity I faced earlier in my career, you can’t be happy and complacent and happy, so I’ve got to keep growing from here.”

And when Walman talks about adversity, he’s not talking about the surgically repaired surgery. Rather he’s talking about the massive chip on it that he still carries after failing to find the proper footing in St. Louis.