San Jose Sharks blue-liner Jake Walman is a healthy scratch Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Ryan Warsofsky announced.
"Coach's decision, I'll leave it at that," Warsofsky said, per NBC's Sheng Peng.
He added: "I'm sure he's frustrated. I think everyone wants to play. That message is gonna be between him and I."
Walman ranks second on the Sharks in average time on ice, trailing Cody Ceci by exactly one second. He's tallied nine points in 13 games, matching the total of the rest of San Jose's defensemen combined.
"My initial reaction is I'm a competitor, and I want to play, but it's coach's decision, I'll respect the conversation that we had," Walman said. "He's the coach, in the end, even if I'm not happy about not being out there. It's respecting the decision, and just gonna be better for it in the end and come back stronger and ready to go, ready to be a leader."
Walman was acquired in an offseason trade with the Detroit Red Wings, along with a second-round pick, in exchange for future considerations. He's under contract through next season at a $3.4-million cap hit, making him the team's highest-paid active defenseman with Marc-Edouard Vlasic ($7 million) on injured reserve.
