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Atro Leppänen stands out in first pre-season look with Oilers
Edmonton Oilers Atro Leppänen
Photo credit: Helena ja Mika / ApolloPhoto / Vaasan Sport
Golden Hockey
Sep 22, 2025, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 22, 2025, 10:05 EDT
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The Edmonton Oilers sent a thin lineup to Calgary for Sunday’s split-squad matchup against the Flames, icing just four players who were NHL regulars last season. It didn’t matter. The Oilers shut out the Flames 3-0, largely thanks to strong showings from newcomers like defenceman Atro Leppänen.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch spoke highly of Leppänen the day prior, following some team scrimmages at camp: “Very good head on his shoulders, puck play is, I would say, definitely at an NHL level, just from the passing and how he protects it and the plays that he makes.”
After a fantastic season in Finland, the 26-year-old signed with the Oilers in April. His 63 points were the most in a season by a defenseman in Liiga history. His skating, passing, and offensive instincts made him the Finnish league’s top star in 2024-25, and in his first game with the Oilers, we got a small taste of what he’s capable of. Let’s break down some of the game tape.
On his first shift in an Oiler uniform, Leppänen retrieves a dump-in and reverses to Josh Brown. As the Oilers break out on the strong side, he activates as the weak-side D and gets the puck on a pass from Noah Philp. While Philp sprints to the net, Leppänen floats a well-placed saucer pass back to him. It would have resulted in a glorious chance if Flames defenseman Jake Bean hadn’t gotten a tiny piece of it while swinging his stick in desperation.
While the play ultimately didn’t connect, it was a great example of Leppänen’s willingness to jump up in the rush and create offence, which nearly paid off.
He looked poised with the puck on his stick, even while under heavy duress from forecheckers. In this clip, Leppänen spins off his check twice, using his body to shield the puck from the opposing forechecker. Once he shakes his man, he quickly passes up the strong side boards, leading to a zone exit.
I like this play because it chains together several necessary skills for succeeding in the NHL. He didn’t rush a play off the glass and out when he felt pressure; he used the boards and his body to evade the forechecker, and moved the puck quickly when the timing was right.
The last clip I want to discuss is a retrieval he makes while outnumbered. The puck rims around the boards, and two Flames converge on the puck. One forechecker stops the puck along the boards with his skate, but can’t handle it cleanly because Leppänen disrupts the play with his stick. He immediately turns his back toward the Flames forward to box him out, then chips it up the boards to Max Jones, who clears the puck out.
Leppänen displayed his ability to retrieve pucks and facilitate zone exits efficiently all night. He may not have gotten on the scoresheet, but he did many good things necessary to succeed as a puck-moving defenseman in the NHL.

Leppänen’s night, according to the numbers

From an analytics perspective, Leppänen’s debut had some interesting results. According to Natural Stat Trick, he was on the ice for more High-Danger Chances, both for and against, than any other Oiler. That matches the profile of an offensive defenseman — creating plenty of chances while giving some back.
Part of the story, though, lies in his partner. Leppänen skated most of the night with Brown, who struggled to move the puck and often looked a step behind. Their pairing didn’t generate a single High-Danger Chance and posted just a 34% share of expected goals at five-on-five.
When Leppänen played without Brown, the numbers flipped. In 7:49 of five-on-five ice time apart, Leppänen’s side led High-Danger Chances 4-0, carrying a dominant 75% xG share. The contrast suggests Brown dragged down his underlying results, and that Leppänen was driving play.

Edmonton’s LD conundrum

If Leppänen continues this level of play throughout the preseason, he would make a strong case that he belongs in the NHL. Unfortunately for him, the Oilers already have four left-handed defensemen: Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, Jake Walman, and Brett Kulak. Walman will play his offside to accommodate, and the rest of the LD are NHL starters who play every day and don’t spend time as healthy scratches. There’s no room for Leppänen.
Organizational depth isn’t the worst problem to have, though. The Bakersfield Condors would have a quality defenseman, and the Oilers some injury insurance if one of their lefties goes down.
Perhaps even more intriguing is the possibility of Leppänen making someone on the NHL roster expendable. A strong season from Leppänen could be enough to convince the Oilers that they have an adequate replacement should they decide to move out an LD to address weaknesses elsewhere on the roster. 
Time will tell where Leppänen stands on the organizational depth chart. If his performance early in camp is any indication, there might be an opportunity for him in Edmonton in the near future.

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