Edmonton Oilers Place 38-Point Defenseman On Waivers
The move comes right as the 27-year-old is getting healthy, since he was hurt during the preseason while playing for the Oilers and has spent the first six weeks of the season on the non-roster injured list with an undisclosed injury.
Because he started the year on that list, Edmonton didn’t have to make a decision on him to get cap-compliant in October. Now that he’s been cleared to return, the Oilers have to expose him to the league before he can get back into games in Bakersfield.
Leppanen Put Up Big Numbers In Bakersfield
Leppanen was one of the most productive defensemen in the AHL last season, finishing with 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points in 53 games with the Condors, the most of any Bakersfield defenseman.
He was one of just 13 AHL defensemen to score at least 11 goals and finished 13th in scoring among defensemen. His five power-play goals were tied for second at the position, and he added a goal in three Calder Cup playoff games.
The #Oilers have placed defenceman Atro Leppanen on waivers for purpose of assignment to the @Condors. #LetsGoOilers https://t.co/xV1BZy0k0G
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 7, 2026
His season also got stronger as it went along. He had three goals and 20 points through his first 28 games when the Oilers extended him in February, then scored eight goals and 18 points over his final 25 games.
Before he came to North America, Leppanen put together one of the best seasons a defenseman has ever had in Finland, leading the entire Liiga in scoring with 21 goals and 63 points in 60 games for Vaasan Sport in 2024-25.
Those 63 points set a new Liiga single-season record for a defenseman, breaking the mark of 53 points held by Brian Rafalski, which is a big reason the Oilers took a chance on the undrafted Finn as a 26-year-old.
Contract Makes Him An Easy Claim
Edmonton first signed Leppanen to a one-year, $975,000 entry-level deal in April 2025, then gave him a one-year, two-way extension in February that carries an $850,000 cap hit at the NHL level.
That deal runs through the end of this season, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, so any team that claims him would be taking on a cheap, short-term contract for a left-shot defenseman who can move the puck and run a power play.
Rathbone has cleared Leppanen (EDM) on waivers Reimer (NYR) on unconditional waivers for purposes of contract termination
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 7, 2026
The concern, and probably the reason Edmonton is willing to risk losing him, is his skating. DFO Edmonton prospect writer Spencer Pomoty called him a “crafty player from the blueline” but noted that his foot speed is “still troubling” and that he can get beaten defensively.
Leppanen is still waiting on his NHL debut, and his lack of North American experience makes it likely he clears unless a team wants an offensive boost from a depth spot on the back end.
If he does clear, he’ll land on a Bakersfield team that could use the help, since the Condors are 4-5-1 and sitting last in the AHL’s Pacific Division after scoring 26 goals and allowing 30 through their first 10 games.
