The Edmonton Oilers have a positional logjam to deal with. General manager Stan Bowman arguably has eight NHL-ready left-handed defenseman at his disposal. Nevertheless, only three of these players will obviously play regular minutes in Edmonton. This trio is expected to be Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, and Ryan Shea. Shakir Mukhamadullin may very well enter the mix as well.
As a result, four other Oilers blueliners will either have to play with the team’s AHL affiliate or be traded. Spencer Stastney is one of these left-sided defensemen expected to be dealt soon. However, Edmonton is also being linked with trading away Atro Leppänen. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell believes that the blueliner’s time is running out at the club.
The beat writer also believes Bowman could land a new center by offloading the veteran. “For Leppänen and the Oilers, this is likely the final season together, and management may cash him in for an AHL player at another position (the Oilers appear to have a need at center in the AHL) during the year,” writes Mitchell.
The Edmonton Oilers previously signed Leppänen as a free agent in 2025. This came after the Finnish blueliner set an all-time Liiga record for points by a defenseman. At the time, he had 63 points in 60 games for Vaasan Sport. During his first AHL season last year, Leppänen collected 38 points in 53 games with the Bakersfield Condors.
Edmonton Oilers Likely Prioritizing Young Center in Atro Leppänen Move
GettyAtro Leppänen (left) had an impressive first season in North America in the Edmonton Oilers organization.
Mitchell’s point that the Edmonton Oilers could look to add another center is nothing new. The Athletic writer has linked Bowman and the Oilers to several young forwards this summer. Felix Unger Sörum, Matt Poitras, and Ethan Procyszyn have all been mentioned by Mitchell. Bowman has personally proclaimed a team need for additional centers as well.
“I think, you know, we’re always talking during the season and at the trade deadline,” Bowman said earlier this summer, as reported by the Edmonton Journal. “Centers are valuable, and you can never have too many of them. We’re looking for big centers every year. Like there are not enough centers. Never.”
Along with claiming that Leppänen could soon be traded, Mitchell also floated several potential trade partners for the Edmonton Oilers. According to the writer, the blueliner should “land with an NHL team in need of an offensive spark from a defender.” This list could very well include the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Edmonton Could Regret Offloading Blueliner
If not for their plethora of left-sided defenseman, the Edmonton Oilers would likely love to give Leppänen a shot in the NHL. After all, the Finn led all Bakersfield blueliners in points last year. He can clearly skate well and provide extra offense. The Oilers only had two defensemen grab at least 25 points during the 2025-26 season.
Nevertheless, Leppänen will be 28 in December and is seemingly blocked from reaching Edmonton this season. He could, however, likely help out another struggling NHL team. It certainly seems as if an upcoming trade would be beneficial to both sides.
Oilers Likely to Swap Record-Setting Defenseman for Young Center