Oilers To Reassign Calvin Pickard
Feb. 2: Pickard cleared waivers, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Feb. 1: The Edmonton Oilers announced today that netminder Calvin Pickard has been placed on waivers, presumably for the purposes of reassignment to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Taking the move at face value, it appears Pickard has lost his place in the Oilers’ crease as a result of the emergence of Connor Ingram. Ingram made his first appearance with the Oilers in late December and, since joining their NHL roster, has posted a .901 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average. Those numbers are a significant step up from what Pickard was offering the Oilers this season, as the veteran has just an .871 save percentage across 16 games. Among goalies with 10 or more games played this season, Pickard’s .871 save percentage ranks inside the bottom ten.
But while Pickard’s 2025-26 season has been a struggle, it’s still somewhat surprising to see him land on waivers. He was a reliable backup for the club in each of the last two seasons, even appearing in a total of 13 playoff contests across the team’s back-to-back runs to the Stanley Cup Final. Pickard managed a 7-1 record in last season’s playoffs.
With the Oilers, like most teams, unlikely to have much of an appetite to carry three healthy goalies on their active roster, Pickard was the odd man out of Edmonton’s goalie picture. Mid-season trade acquisition Tristan Jarry has struggled mightily since arriving in Edmonton, but seeing as the Oilers have $5.375MM committed to Jarry for an additional two years after this one, it’s understandable that they’d want to give Jarry the priority to keep his NHL roster spot over Pickard.
As for whether Pickard might end up claimed, it seems entirely dependent on how much stock rival teams will place in his performance this season, weighed against his play over the past two years. There does not appear to be an abundance of avenues for goaltending-needy teams to find upgrades. Because of how reliable Pickard was in 2023-24 and 2024-25, he likely stands a strong chance of being claimed.
Oilers Sign Atro Leppanen To Two-Way Extension
The Oilers announced they’ve signed defenseman Atro Leppänen to a two-way extension. The deal carries an $850K NHL salary for 2026-27 with a $360K minors salary and a $400K guarantee, per PuckPedia. He would have become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Leppänen, 27, landed in North America for the first time last April when Edmonton inked him to a one-year entry-level deal. While he didn’t win a spot on the Oilers’ roster in training camp, the veteran of 10 professional seasons in Europe accepted an assignment to AHL Bakersfield.
The 6’0″ lefty has been a revelation for Edmonton’s minor-league defense corps, which lacks much puck-moving ability. Despite only playing in 28 of Bakersfield’s 43 contests, he leads their defense in scoring with 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) – although his -5 rating is tied for the worst among Bakersfield rearguards.
It’s largely what was expected out of Leppänen after the previously unheralded Finn exploded for 21 goals and 63 points in 60 games for Liiga’s Sport last season, just his second year in Finland’s top flight after spending most of his pro career in lower-level domestic leagues. Two-way play wasn’t his strong suit in Europe, either.
He’d only ever grade out as a power-play specialist if he lands a recall, but it’s evident he’s happy with the fit in the Oilers’ system and lands a nice AHL pay raise to stick around, up from the minimal $85K he’s making as an entry-level player.
Evening Notes: Abols, Igram, Love
The Philadelphia Flyers could soon receive bad news about a scary-looking injury. Center Rodrigo Abols needed helped off the ice after his right-foot went into the boards awkwardly during Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers. Head coach Rick Tocchet provided little update after the game, except to say that the injury was “not good” per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Abols was on Latvia’s official roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, set to begin in roughly one month. He has represented Latvia at Olympic events in 2017, 2022, and 2025, with 13 points in 13 games in total. A long-term injury would leave Latvia, and the Flyers, without an important bit of depth.
The Flyers have deployed Abols in a fourth-line role in his second season with the club. He has recorded 10 points, 22 penalty minutes, and a minus-one in 41 games. Each of those marks are up from the five points, four penalty minutes, and minus-10 that Abols recorded in the first 22 games of his NHL career last season. He should have a spot carved out at the bottom of Philadelphia’s lineup on the other side of this injury, so long as he returns before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- The Edmonton Oilers have found a small bit of reliability in net. Goaltender Connor Ingram is expected to stick with the team even after he regains waiver eligibility per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The team is expected to carry three goaltenders – Ingram, Tristan Jarry, and Calvin Pickard – through the Olympic break. Ingram has recorded four wins and a .907 save percentage in his first eight games with Edmonton. The performance is a major improvement over the four wins and .856 save percentage he recorded in 11 AHL games to start the year – while this resurgence is wholely a nice rebound for Ingram after losing the Utah Hockey Club’s starting role last season. He seems to have found a new role in Edmonton, where he could earn a heap of starts with strong play. Ingram is currently the only Oilers goaltender with a save percentage above .900.
- The KHL’s Shanghai Dragons have hired Mitch Love as their next head coach after Gerard Gallant stepped down last week per Sergey Demidov of RG. Coach Mike Kelly – a former Florida Panthers coach who served as interim head coach in Gallant’s absence – will stay with the team as an assistant coach. Love was hired as an assistant coach by the Washington Capitals this summer but was placed on team-imposed leave before coaching in his first game. The leave was spurred by an NHL investigation into Love, ultimately revealed to be looking into allegations of domestic abuse against Love. The Capitals fired Love after that investigation. Love will now try to lift up a Dragons club that ranks third-to-last in the KHL’s Western Conference. Shanghai is led by former North American pros Spencer Foo, Austin Wagner, Alexander Burmistrov, and Kevin Labanc.
Leon Draisaitl To Take Brief Leave Of Absence
The Oilers will be without one of their superstars for the next few games. The team announced that center Leon Draisaitl will be stepping away from the team to attend to a family illness back home in Germany. He is currently expected to rejoin the team at some point next week.
Once again, the 30-year-old is among not only Edmonton’s top scorers but the rest of the league as well. Draisaitl has 25 goals and 42 assists in 48 games so far this season, putting him second on the team in scoring behind Connor McDavid (who is tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead with 82). Meanwhile, his 67 points are fifth overall, behind those two along with Macklin Celebrini and Nikita Kucherov.
In his absence, the Oilers will have to decide if they want to move Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back down the middle and take him off McDavid’s line. Alternatively, Jack Roslovic could move up to the second line to take Draisaitl’s spot. Meanwhile, his absence should pave the way for Andrew Mangiapane to return to the lineup; the speculated trade candidate has been a frequent healthy scratch as of late.
Edmonton is currently carrying a full 23-player roster. Draisaitl is eligible to be moved to non-roster status if needed which would allow them to recall a replacement player from AHL Bakersfield. However, with only $270K in LTIR room at the moment per PuckPedia, other moves would need to be made in order for them to be able to afford to bring someone else up.
Senators, Oilers Had Trade Talks Regarding Andrew Mangiapane
Speaking on last week’s episode of Hello Hockey, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers have had trade talks regarding forward Andrew Mangiapane. He did not disclose how in-depth these conversations were or whether there was any further progress toward a deal.
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Mangiapane will be traded this season. In late December, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that the Oilers were looking to move Mangiapane in an effort to thin out a relatively saturated forward group. A few days later, Friedman again shared that Mangiapane wants to move to a better situation for himself, and that the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets had been in touch with Edmonton to some degree or another.
It stands to reason that the Senators will want to climb back into contention before adding a depth piece similar to Mangiapane. Despite being six points back of a playoff spot, six teams are separating Ottawa from the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have a 3-6-1 record over their last 10 contests, the worst in the Atlantic Division over that stretch.
Furthermore, it’s not altogether clear how Mangiapane will benefit the Senators. He has been relatively disappointing over the past two years, scoring 19 goals and 39 points in his last 123 games between the Oilers and Washington Capitals. For context, in his final year with the Calgary Flames, Mangiapane scored 14 goals and 40 points in 75 games.
It really depends on what Ottawa would be looking for Mangiapane to contribute. The team is averaging 3.11 GF/G, good for 14th in the league. There’s always a place to add more goal-scoring, though the Senators have had much larger issues keeping the puck out of their net.
Mangiapane has shown flashes of being a defensively responsible forward, as evidenced by his 91.8% on-ice SV% with the Capitals last year. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played similarly this season, posting an 83.7% mark with the Oilers, the worst on the team for forwards who have played in 25 or more games.
If Ottawa is interested in Mangiapane for his defensive attributes, they will need to hope that their coaching staff can help revert him to how he played last year in Washington. However, if they’re looking to add more secondary or even tertiary scoring, there are likely better and more affordable options available than Mangiapane.
Oilers Activate Tristan Jarry, Jake Walman
The Edmonton Oilers are nearly back to full force. According to a team announcement, the Oilers have activated goaltender Tristan Jarry and defenseman Jake Walman from their long-term injured reserve.
The moving parts don’t end there either. In the same announcement, Edmonton shared that they’ve moved veteran forward Adam Henrique to the long-term injured reserve, and have converted netminder Connor Ingram‘s emergency recall into standard one.
Despite being acquired a month ago, the Oilers have seen very little of Jarry. In only his third game with the team, Jarry left the contest with a lower-body injury and hasn’t played since.
Throughout his brief intro to the team, he played relatively well, being credited for three wins in his three starts. However, much of that had to do with the performance of the team in front of him, as Jarry only managed an .887 SV%, 3.08 GAA, and -0.7 Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA).
It is still too small a sample size to accurately predict his future performance in Edmonton. Before the trade, Jarry had managed a 9-3-1 record in 14 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins with a .909 SV%, 2.66 GAA, and 4.8 GSAA.
Meanwhile, the Oilers will get a major boost to their defensive core with the return of Walman. The 29-year-old blueliner hasn’t played since late November due to a lower-body injury, missing the team’s last 23 games.
Before the injury, Walman was his typically steady self, scoring three goals and 10 points in 17 games while averaging more than 20 minutes per game. Still, Edmonton will want more stability from him on the defensive side of the puck, as he’s only managed an 85.4% on-ice SV% at even strength this season.
On the other side of the transaction, the Oilers have expectedly moved Henrique to the LTIR. The 16-year veteran suffered an undisclosed injury on January 6th and isn’t expected to return until after the Olympics.
Lastly, Edmonton will surprisingly move forward with three netminders on the active roster. Despite having a disastrous performance with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, Ingram has provided some stability in net for the Oilers of late. In his first year with the organization, he has managed a 4-2-1 record in seven games with a .904 SV% and 2.70 GAA. If he continues his success, fellow netminder Calvin Pickard‘s days with the team could be numbered.
Oilers Sign Quinn Hutson To Two-Year Extension
The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Quinn Hutson to a two-year, $1.775MM contract extension. The deal will carry an annual average value of $875K. Hutson was signed to a two-year, $1.75MM entry-level contract in April 2025, following the end of his career at Boston University. That deal was set to expire this summer after the Oilers burned the first year of it to allow Hutson to make his NHL debut last season.
An early end to his entry-level contract will come at no expense to the Oilers. Hutson’s next deal will carry the same cap hit and he has only proven his might at the pro level in nearly a year since signing his first deal. The eldest Hutson brother – related to defensemen Lane and Cole Hutson – went undrafted through two years in the USHL even despite posting 73 points and 83 penalty minutes in 59 games of the 2021-22 season. That scoring was enough to earn a three-year tenure at Boston University, where Hutson’s knack for keeping play alive in the offensive zone showed up big during the Terriers’ run to the 2025 National Championship. BU would ultimately lose that game but Hutson did enough to catch the eye of NHL scouts.
Hutson signed with the Oilers immediately after the National Championship and finished the 2024-25 seaosn in the NHL. He didn’t rack up any scoring, and added one penalty, but his presence in the depth chart nonetheless drew attention. He’s earned it so far this year, leading the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors in scoring with 23 goals and 38 points in 30 games and adding his first NHL goal in four more appearances with the Oilers.
Partway through the year, Hutson appears to be an ace up the Oilers’ sleeve. He has earned call-ups as an injury replacement and fared well in his NHL minutes, even despite the low-scoring. It appears only a matter of time before he receives an extended run in Edmonton’s bottom-six, which could be enough to spark his offense at the top level. That will be the upside Edmonton hopes for as they lock in Hutson for two more seasons, at a relatively cheap price.
Edmonton Oilers Reassign Riley Stillman
The Edmonton Oilers have shedded one of their depth defenseman off the active roster. According to a team announcement, the Oilers have reassigned Riley Stillman to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
Stillman, 27, has been with Edmonton for nearly a month. He was recalled on December 12th, and has been enjoying his time as the team’s seventh defenseman since. Despite being on the team for that long, he has only appeared in four games, scoring zero points while averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game.
He’ll return to a Condors club where he’s already registered 22 games on the season. Still, it’s been a fairly disappointing first year with the team, scoring two goals and seven points with a -8 rating. Still, if he continues on his current pace when he returns to the lineup, he’ll reach double-digit point totals for the second time in his AHL career.
It’s been some time since Stillman was a consistent player in the NHL. During the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, Stillman skated in 102 games between the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and Buffalo Sabres, scoring three goals and 20 points with a -21 rating, averaging 14:51 of ice time per night.
Since the Oilers didn’t make a corresponding roster move, it gives credibility to the idea that Jake Walman will return to the team soon. Mark Spector of Sportsnet hinted as much today, indicating that Walman is expected back in the near future.
Walman, who is one year away from beginning his seven-year, $49MM extension in Edmonton, hasn’t appeared in a game since November 20th when he went down with a lower-body injury. He skated in 17 games before the injury, scoring three goals and 10 points in 17 games with a -3 rating, with a 49.0% CorsiFor% at even strength.
Oilers’ Adam Henrique Out Long-Term, Placed On IR
Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique is set to miss nearly two months of action after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators. The Oilers placed Henrique on IR and announced that he is expected to return after the NHL’s break for the Winter Olympics, which ends on February 24th.
When Henrique sustained his injury isn’t entirely clear. Henrique did block a shot from Predators’ winger Filip Forsberg with his wrist in his final shift of the game but didn’t appear to be in pain for the rest of his time on the ice. Whether that caused his injury or not, the veteran forward will now be forced to miss the next 14 games, at least.
Henrique has had a quiet year on the scoresheet. He only has 10 points and 12 penalty minutes in 43 games this season – a career-low scoring pace. The 35 year old has made up for that lack of scoring away from the puck. He leads Edmonton’s forwards with 57 shot blocks, ranks second among the club’s usual centers with a 54.8 faceoff percentage, and ranks fifth on the offense with 24 hits. He’s continued to fill a core, bottom-six role in Edmonton that will be hard to fill.
The Oilers will bring Trent Frederic back into the lineup in Henrique’s spot. Frederic has had a year much quieter than his rich extension would suggest, with only three points and a minus-10 in 41 games. He has posted 103 hits, though, good for second on the team behind Vasily Podkolzin. Edmonton also has Andrew Mangiapane, who has 11 points in 40 games, in the press box. They oculd also recall Quinn Hutson, who leads the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 27 games.
Edmonton could be afforded a chance to figure out Henrique’s replacement by Kasperi Kapanen‘s return from a three-month long injury absence. Kapanen scored two points in Edmonton’s 6-2 win over the Predators on Tuesday. That win ended a three-game losing skid and brought Edmonton up to a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games. Comfortably in a playoff position, Kapanen’s return could help buoy the offense while they address a new hole on the fourth line.
Oilers Activate Kasperi Kapanen, Move Tristan Jarry To LTIR
The Oilers announced they’ve activated right winger Kasperi Kapanen from long-term injured reserve, allowing him to return to the lineup for tonight’s game against Nashville. To remain cap-compliant, the club shifted goaltender Tristan Jarry from standard IR to LTIR. Edmonton had an open roster spot after reassigning Quinn Hutson to AHL Bakersfield yesterday, so no corresponding move was required.
Kapanen sustained a lower-body injury when he missed a check in a game against the Red Wings on Oct. 19 and crashed into the boards. He was initially expected to miss about a month, but essentially reset his return timeline when he re-aggravated the injury in practice in November. He played in six straight to open the season, mainly in bottom-six duties. He’ll be getting a bump to the second line in his return, though, as he skated alongside Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin in this morning’s practice (via Tony Brar of Oilers TV).
While the Oilers have struggled to get offense out of their left wingers and centers lower in the lineup, their right wing depth has been a strong suit. Kapanen’s return will at least momentarily bump Jack Roslovic to a third-line job with Isaac Howard and Adam Henrique. They’re hoping Roslovic, who has 20 points in 29 games and is among Edmonton’s best finishers this year at 18.5%, can help spread the wealth and give them a third line that’s a legitimate threat to score.
Kapanen, 29, appeared in 57 games last season after being claimed off waivers from the Blues. He scored five goals and 13 points but ended up with a team-worst -16 rating despite his possession numbers not painting him as a severe defensive liability. It was the speedster’s playoff performance, scoring three goals and six points in 12 games on the Oilers’ march to the Stanley Cup Final, that earned him a one-year extension worth $1.3MM.
The Finn had two assists in six games to start this season. He’ll be looking to build on that total starting tonight and has a great opportunity alongside Draisaitl, although the German superstar has gone cold with no goals in his last four and just one assist in his last three.
As for Jarry, Edmonton’s new starter has already missed seven games with a lower-body injury. The shift to LTIR rules him out for at least another three. He’ll be eligible for activation prior to their Jan. 12 game against the Blackhawks.