Edmonton Oilers New Arrival Making a Positive First Impression in Quest For a Spot in the NHL

The Edmonton Oilers made several moves this summer in an effort to get younger and change things up both at forward and on defense.

One of the players added to the defensive unit was Finnish d-man Atro Leppanen.

Leppanen joined the Edmonton Oilers after a record breaking season in Finnish Liiga in 2024-25.

He turned that record setting season into an NHL contract with the Oilers and now has impressed early in his quest to make the team's opening night roster.

Last night, the Oilers faced the Calgary Flames in a split squad scrimmage and throughout the game several fans and analyst noted Leppanen's strong performance.

Leppanen showed multiple examples of high level skating and comfort in a game that was played near NHL regular season speed.

Heading into training camp, Leppanen was expected to compete for bottom pair minutes in Edmonton and after this strong start he seems to be in a great position to start his first season with the Oilers in the NHL.

If he continues to show his ability to conduct breakouts and be an offensive threat from the back end Leppanen could not only earn himself a roster spot but even potentially a look on the Oilers second power play unit.

Now, with his first appearance in the books, it will be interesting to see how Stan Bowman and Kris Knoblauch utilize and evaluate Leppanen throughout the rest of the season.