Atro Leppänen is quickly becoming one of the most intriguing storylines of the Edmonton Oilers' training camp and preseason. The 26-year-old Finnish defenceman is set to play in his third straight preseason game tonight, earning more looks after a string of impressive performances.

Leppänen arrives in Edmonton with a record-breaking season in Finland’s Liiga, where he set a new benchmark for points by a blueliner with 21 goals and 63 points. That offensive ability has carried over into camp, and names like Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer have been impressed, "Atro Leppanen can make plays," said Stauffer. @DobberHockey noted, "I'm adding him to my watch list."

Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Defense

Leppänen has also earned praise from head coach Kris Knoblauch, who said the defenseman's puck play is “definitely” at an NHL level.

The problem is fit, or the lack thereof. 

DobberHockey also noted, "I don't like the team fit, because of [Evan] Bouchard and [Jake] Walman...and [Mattias ] Ekholm and [Darnell] Nurse scooping up any available PP time. And the fact that they already have four LD."

That's an intriguing point and it begs the question, what is Edmonton's plan for the young defender? He's a pending UFA and the Oilers will need to make a decision. Most don't expect him to get NHL time, but if he's ready, are the Oilers willing to see how much this player has to offer?

It seems like the organization is giving him a healthy look now. Can he be the unexpected surprise out of camp?

Frederic Gets First Look As Oilers’ Top Line Loaded For Preseason Game vs. KrakenAhead of Wednesday's preseason game between the Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Kraken, the Oilers projected top line is getting some attention. Head coach Kris Knoblauch has decided to go with the combination of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, with Trent Frederic getting the first look alongside the dynamic duo this year. 

Leppänen Is Turning Heads Early

Against the Winnipeg Jets, Leppänen logged nearly 20 minutes. Granted, he wasn't playing with the Oilers' top blueliners, but he was showing flashes of high-end skill. 

Like any player first jumping into the NHL, Leppänen’s decision-making will need work. If he makes too many risky plays, an NHL-level forward will make him look unready for the NHL.  Potentially, that's where a solid season in Bakersfield, adjusting to North American ice, could prove beneficial.  At the same time, it's hard to know what the defenseman himself is thinking.

He might want an opportunity to play in the NHL. If the Oilers can't offer it, he's free to leave at the end of the season. 

Edmonton’s left side is already crowded with Nurse, Ekholm, Walman, and Brett Kulak. However, Walman might be pushed over to the right side to play with Nurse, thus potentially opening up a spot on the left. If Leppänen continues to impress, he could force tough roster decisions—or at minimum, put himself at the top of the call-up list.

For a player who just a few years ago was skating in Finland’s fourth tier, the rapid strides he is making in his development shouldn't be overlooked. Whether he makes the team out of camp or starts in the AHL, Leppänen has made one thing clear this preseason: his skillset is NHL-ready, and the Oilers may have uncovered a hidden gem.

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There were many reasons why the Carolina Hurricanes came up short against the Florida Panthers in last season's Eastern Conference Final, but perhaps the biggest was due to the team's deployment of two rookie defensemen.

Injuries to Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker put the Canes in a no-win position, and with no real veteran depth defenders in the organization at the time, the coaching staff was forced to turn to two players who quite simply were not ready for the moment. 

"[Having to play two rookies] is tougher than people realize," Brind'Amour said after the Florida series. "It just puts so much stress on the other guys. ... Throwing in guys who haven't played at this level, it's asking a lot."

Brind'Amour knew that the team had blundered with their blueline depth last season — perhaps also partly because the Mikko Rantanen trade went all the way to wire at the trade deadline, leaving the team with very little time for any other negotiations — and he didn't want that to be a recurring problem.

"We're going to go back this summer... when you get into the playoffs, you have to make sure you probably have a little more depth at that position," Brind'Amour said.

So when July 1 rolled around, the Canes knew that adding a veteran, depth blueliner was something that was high on their list.

Hence the signing of Mike Reilly to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.

"It's critical when it becomes critical and, you know, it became critical," Brind'Amour said. "That was obviously a big issue. One way to avoid it is brining in veteran guys at that position and that's what we did."

The 6-foot-2 blueliner brings a two-way game and over 400 games of NHL experience to the table.

Reilly has played for six other organizations throughout his career, while racking up 18 goals and 124 points.

However, there was a worry that the Minnesota native wasn't even going to be able to continue playing just a year ago.

Reilly missed the majority of last season after a congenital heart condition was discovered during testing for a concussion he suffered in a game on Nov. 1, 2024.

“It was picked up through the different echocardiograms that you do for different reasons that you go through with any post-concussion situation," said Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello back in November. "It's probably a blessing in disguise of what transpired. They detected this, something that you're sometimes born with but never knew. ... [His quality of life will be] 100 percent, and he will be able to play once this procedure is done."  

The veteran was ultimately cleared to return to the ice, playing in the Islanders final seven games of the season, but the ailment certainly didn't  do the blueliner any favors heading into free agency.

"Obviously last year was a tough year," Reilly told The Hockey News. "Didn't play much and had all that health stuff going on, so coming into free agency, I was in a tough spot. But Carolina was interested in making it happen and I was excited."

Reilly is no stranger to the Hurricanes, having played against them for so many years, including two separate playoff series (2022 with BOS, 2024 with NYI).

"I've played against them a bunch, couple of playoff series and I'm familiar with a couple of guys who are here currently or had played here as well (perhaps former roommate and Golden Gopher teammate Brady Skjei had some good things to say)," Reilly said. "I think it's a fast-paced style and structure, which I think suits me and I think there's good opportunities for the D to jump in once we get the puck going up north and moving with speed."

The veteran isn't likely to start the year, but injuries are a constant threat in the NHL, and there's a better chance than not that the Hurricanes will have to call on him eventually and he's confident that he'll be ready for that chance.

But he's okay with waiting for that moment too.

"I'm an easy-going guy and everyday I like to have a smile on my face regardless of what's going on," Reilly said. "I just try to be a good teammate."

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to secure their first win of the preseason on Wednesday night when they travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets. 

This will be the Penguins' second preseason game after losing to the Montreal Canadiens in a shootout on Monday night. The Penguins released their roster for this game on Tuesday, which features several young players, including Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz, Benjamin Kindel, Filip Hallander, Philip Tomasino, and Quinn Beauchesne. 

Koivunen and Hallander may be on a line together after forming some chemistry together on a line during Tuesday's practice.

Broz will likely be in the top six and has had a great September so far. After showing out at the Prospects Challenge, he carried that momentum into camp and was the Penguins' lone goal scorer in their loss against the Canadiens. He has all of his confidence right now and is making a serious push for a full-time spot. 

Fans will also get to see Justin Brazeau suit up as a Penguin for the first time after Penguins general manager and president Kyle Dubas signed him to a two-year contract when free agency opened on July 1. He was a solid depth scorer last year, finishing with 11 goals and 22 points in 76 games, and hopes to bring that to the Penguins this year. 

The Blue Jackets will be dressing some of their best players in this game, including Sean Monahan, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, Zach Werenski, Boone Jenner, and Adam Fantilli.

Monahan, Marchenko, and Voronkov are expected to be on the first line, and Jenner and Fantilli are expected to be on the second line. 

Like Monday's game against the Canadiens, this will be a perfect test for some of the young Penguins players who are trying to carve out full-time roles. 

Wednesday's contest will start at 7 p.m. ET and it will be streamed on the Penguins' official website.

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On Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens had two Xhekajs in the lineup: blueliner Arber and center Florian. Playing on the fourth line and seeing 13:49 of ice time, the youngest made an impact and put the organisation on notice that he deserves a real audition.

He skated on the fourth line alongside Luke Tuch and Tyler Thope, two players who will likely spend the year with the Laval Rocket in the AHL, and he still shone brightly. It’s no secret that there aren’t a lot of empty chairs in the Canadiens’ lineup. The one spot that appears to be up for grabs is on the wing of Zack Bolduc and Alex Newhook.

Canadiens: The Xhekajs Have Got The X Factor
Canadiens Prospect Is Already Standing Out
Canadiens: The First Line And A Double Helping Of Xhekaj

On Tuesday night, Joshua Roy got an audition there. He didn’t play poorly; he had an honest game, but he didn’t stand out either. In his best opportunity offensively, he froze on a two-on-one and waited too long to attempt to feed Newhook on a two-on-one, and it was child's play for the defender to intercept the pass.

In both scrimmages, Newhook and Bolduc played alongside Owen Beck. He has been good in the role, played a direct game, as St-Louis would say, but he didn’t exactly stand out. All due respect to Beck, though, he doesn’t bring as much grit and physicality as Xhekaj does.

Beck stands at 6-feet and 197 pounds, while Xhekaj is 6-foot-3 and weighs 217 pounds. The latter gained a significant amount of weight this summer, but he has demonstrated that he can carry it well on the ice and has made himself an even bigger threat in the process.

If training camp serves as a way to evaluate players, then the Canadiens should do their due diligence on Xhekaj and see what he can do playing alongside NHL-level players. Even if he doesn’t manage to crack the opening night lineup and gets sent down to Laval, at least the organization will know what they have in store if they need to call in some reinforcements during the season.

Fallait bin impressionner maman 😌

That was for @SimonaXhekaj

PHI 0, MTL 2#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/91fGA2UdrD

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 23, 2025

Martin St-Louis has said that he wants his team to be harder to play against, not only strategically, but also physically. He quickly added that it’s not just about adding one player who can throw his weight around, but the truth of the matter is, having a player like that in your lineup makes everyone play bigger. That’s something that has always been visible when the older Xhekaj is in the lineup, and the effect would be the same if the younger were there as well.

I’m not saying the Canadiens should pick up fights every time they play, far from it, but we’ve seen in the playoffs against the Washington Capitals just how impactful a player like Tom Wilson will be. The more I watch the youngest Xhekaj, the more I feel like he’s a Wilson in the making. He’s not just a physical threat; he has the skills to put up points as well. He did it last year in the AHL, and he showed it in an exhibition game last night. He deserves a big audition, just as much as Beck and Roy did. There are four preseason games left, that’s ample time to give further auditions. Joe Veleno and Samuel Blais should also get a look.

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Each season, the NHL sees multiple players bounce back after tough years. This will undoubtedly be the case yet again in 2025-26. 

Let's look at four NHL forwards who are prime bounce-back candidates to watch during the 2025-26 season.

Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks 

The 2024-25 season was a tough year for Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson. In 64 games, the 6-foot-2 center recorded 15 goals, 45 points and a minus-10 rating. This was after he had 34 goals and 89 points in 82 games with Vancouver in 2023-24 and a career-high 39 goals and 102 points in 2022-23.

Pettersson was in the first year of an eight-year contract carrying an $11.6-million cap hit, and he was already the topic of trade rumors and speculation due to his decreased production and rumored rift with J.T. Miller. After the Canucks traded Miller, Pettersson is Vancouver's clear-cut No. 1 center.

The new season offers Pettersson a clean slate, and the possibility of him bouncing back is there. He's surpassed 60 points in a season in all but two of his seven NHL seasons, is close to a career point-per-game player, and has recovered from injuries that hampered him last year. He should be much better in 2025-26 and return to his top-end form.

Chris Kreider, LW, Anaheim Ducks 

The 2024-25 season was disappointing for the New York Rangers, and it is no secret that Chris Kreider struggled during it. In 68 games with the Blueshirts, he posted 22 goals, eight assists, 30 points and 152 shots. This was after he recorded at least 36 goals, 54 points and 229 shots in each of his previous three seasons.

Now, with Kreider getting a fresh start with the Anaheim Ducks and no longer having trade rumors surrounding him, he is a clear bounce-back candidate to watch. Just back with the Rangers in 2023-24, he recorded 39 goals and 75 points in 82 games. With this, it would not be surprising if his offense rebounds in 2025-26 with Anaheim.

Steven Stamkos, C, Nashville Predators 

Steven Stamkos had a tough first year for his standards with the Nashville Predators in 2024-25. In 82 games, he recorded 27 goals, 53 points and a minus-36 rating. This was after he had 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24.

Considering Stamkos played 16 seasons with the Lightning, it is understandable that he had some struggles hitting the ground running with the Predators.

But Stamkos did seem to improve in the final two months of last season. He had 10 goals and 20 points in 24 games in March and April after being held without a point in February. 

Now that he has completed his first year in Nashville and is more adjusted to the team, it would not be surprising if he bounces back in 2025-26. 

NHL's Biggest Trade Bait With 2025-26 Season Almost HereIt is an exciting time for hockey fans with the new season approaching. Soon, NHL teams will be back to playing regular-season hockey, as it officially begins Oct. 7. 

Trevor Zegras, C, Philadelphia Flyers 

Trevor Zegras was overdue for a change of scenery, and he got one with the Philadelphia Flyers. This comes after he had another injury-affected down season with the Ducks in 2024-25, recording 12 goals and 32 points in 57 games. 

Now that Zegras is on the Flyers, he is undoubtedly a bounce-back candidate to watch. He had two seasons with 23 goals and more than 60 points before injuries got in the way, but his ice time has a chance to increase in Philadelphia under coach Rick Tocchet. At 24 years old, Zegras can get back on track toward becoming an NHL star.

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Gabe Perreault has been emerging through the New York Rangers’ preseason and training camp, and it’s hard to ignore. 

Compared to when he arrived in New York at the end of last season, Perreault seems to be more prepared to play at a professional level. 

Through training camp, Perreault has continued to stand out during practices among some already established veterans. 

The 20-year-old forward has already recorded two goals in two preseason games, as he’s making it hard for the Rangers to deny him a roster spot. 

“I just think obviously, Gabe has NHL talent,” Mike Sullivan said. “I think that’s on display. He’s a really talented kid. I think he’s a terrific hockey player… I think he plays with courage. He's willing to go into the battle areas. I think he can get a little bit stronger, and that's going to help him and will help him in that area, but we've been really encouraged with this game.”

The big question is whether Perreault will benefit from playing with the Rangers in a more limited role or with the Hartford Wolf Pack in an expanded role where he’ll get a ton of opportunity.

While Sullivan did not commit to one direction or the other, he believes that in time Perreault will make himself a known commodity in The Big Apple. 

“I think it's important that he gets minutes and that he plays because it's probably in the best interest of his overall development, and in turn, be in the best interest of the New York Rangers,” Sullivan emphasized. “Whether that takes place in New York or in Hartford, will yet to be determined. As I said, we are really encouraged with his game. He seems to get better with each game that he plays. We're trying to reserve judgment and just kind of let the camp unfold here…

Mike Sullivan Will Be Tasked With Bringing Excitement Back To Madison Square Garden For years, Mike Sullivan has been a division rival of the New York Rangers, coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

“The question with young players is, what's the best formula for that player to help him ultimately become the impact player that we all foresee him to be? Is it playing lots of minutes at the American League level, or is it playing at the NHL level? I don't know that there's an exact formula for that. I think that's a little bit of a feeling-out process. I think every player is unique. And so it's kind of a case-by-case basis, based on circumstance. What I will tell you is my impression of him, and just watching him is he's an he's an NHL player in the making.”

Perreault’s status with the Rangers for this season is still in doubt, but if he keeps playing like he has been over the past couple of weeks, it will only be a matter of time before he’s playing in the NHL.

Swedish goaltender Felix Sandström, 28, has signed a short-term contract with Kärpät Oulu as an injury replacement for the Finnish Liiga club.

The contract runs until Nov. 2 and includes an option for Sandström – who has spent the past seven seasons in North America – to leave early should he receive an NHL offer in that time.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Sandström is quoted in the club’s announcement. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about the team and the city and I can’t wait to get to know everyone.”

Kärpät starting netminder Niklas Rubin was injured this past weekend, leaving 20-year-old Seattle Kraken prospect Visa Vedenpää as the team’s temporary starter.

“We’ve acquired an experienced player to partner with Visa for the next six weeks – one who has played in both the SHL and NHL in his career,” said Kärpät sports director Kimmo Kapanen. “We are pleased that things were able to progress so quickly, and Felix will be able to join the team as early as the end of the week.”

Originally from Gävle, Sweden, Sandström advanced through the ranks of local club Brynäs, turning pro at age 17.

Former Flyers 2nd Rounder Signs In Germany Canadian winger Wade Allison, 27, has signed a one-year contract with the Straubling Tigers, the DEL club announced this weekend.

He was a third-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015 and played in the organization from 2019 to 2024, appearing in 30 NHL games but spending most of that time with the AHL’s Leigh Valley Phantoms. Sandström’s NHL record is 4-18-0 with a 3.66 goals-against average, an .880 save percentage and no shutouts.

Sandström spent the 2024-25 season in the Buffalo Sabres organization, playing 19 AHL games for the Rochester Americans.

Kärpät has won two of its first five Liiga games so far this season. The team’s leading scorer is Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen with six points. It also includes Chicago Blackhawks prospect Janne Peltonen and ex-NHLers Markus Nutivaara, Marcus Björk and Aku Räty.

A club that is used to success in Finland, Kärpät had high expectations for last season but missed the playoffs, causing the club mangement to issue an apology to the fans.

Leafs Prospect Returns Home To Finland Finnish defenseman Roni Hirvonen, 23, has signed a one-year contract with Kärpät Oulu, the Liiga club announced on Monday.