Edmonton Oilers sign 27-year-old defenseman to a contract extension
|
Jack Sutherland
Feb 2, 2026 (2:47 PM)
|
|
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
The Edmonton Oilers have announced that they've re-signed defenseman Atro Leppanen to a new two year, two-way contract extension.
Even though Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman will have several key decisions in the weeks ahead before the March 6 trade deadline, he's taken care of an internal matter of business.
The Oilers have announced that defenseman Atro Leppanen has been signed to a two year, two-way contract extension.
The deal carries an AAV (average annual value) of $850,000 at the NHL level for next year, with a $360,000 AAV in the minors, along with $400,000 guaranteed.
He's playing in his first year in North America after being signed out of his native Finland as an undrafted free agent.
His AAV on the one year deal he signed for this season is $975,000.
Atro Leppanen Is In His First Year Both In The NHL And In The Oilers Organization
Leppanen was never drafted into the NHL, and signed with the Oilers as an undrafted free agent in 2025.
He's played the last two years with Vaasan Sport in the Finnish Liiga, the top hockey league in Finland. Last year, he had 63 points (21G, 42A) in 62 games played. In doing so, he set the league record for most points by a defenseman.
He hasn't played an NHL game yet in the regular season, but has played 28 games with the American Hockey League affiliate Bakersfield Condors and has 20 points (3G, 17A).
He has also represented the Finnish national team at the 2025 IIHF World Championships.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
Calvin Pickard’s waiver fate is settled after the latest update
Calvin Pickard’s waiver fate is settled after the latest update
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 2|133 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers sign 27-year-old defenseman to a contract extension Is this a good move by Oilers GM Stan Bowman? | ||
| Yes | 71 | 53.4 % |
| No | 62 | 46.6 % |
| List of polls | ||