Oilers Waive Highly-Touted Blue Line Prospect

The Edmonton Oilers have waived highly-touted blue-line prospect Atro Leppanen. He is being placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. 

For fans who don't know, Leppanen remained on the Oilers roster while on injured reserve (IR). This move suggests he's healthy enough to be sent down to the minors, which is great news for Edmonton and its minor league franchise. 

In February, the Oilers signed the defenceman to a one-year, two-way contract extension through the 2026-27 season. He was injured in preseason, halting any chances of potentially making the roster out of camp. 

Leppänen (6’0”, 183 lbs, 27) has been a prospect the Oilers have high hopes for. The Finnish defender put up solid numbers in the AHL (11 goals and 27 assists in just 53 games) and before signing with Edmonton, he had a remarkable final season with Vaasan Sport in Liiga (Finland), recording a league-high 63 points (21-42-63) over 60 games, setting an all-time Liiga record for points by a defenceman.

That's primarily what caught the Oilers attention in the first place. 

Leppanen lacks NHL experience in North America, so he will likely go unclaimed before Sunday’s 1 p.m. CT deadline. If he clears, he’ll head back to the Condors. Another strong offensive showing there could earn him an NHL debut this season.

See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.