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Oilers Sign Ty Emberson To Two-Year Extension

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The Oilers will be keeping Ty Emberson in the fold a little while longer.  The team announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year contract extension that will carry a cap hit of $1.3MM.  The deal represents a small raise from his current $950K salary.

The 24-year-old was acquired from San Jose last offseason as part of the cap-clearing move that saw Cody Ceci sent to the Sharks.  At the time, it looked like he was trending toward Group Six unrestricted free agency but as a result of reaching the 50-game mark (one he easily surpassed), he became eligible for restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility.  He’ll bypass that with this contract as it buys out his two remaining RFA-eligible campaigns.

Emberson played in 76 games this season, becoming a full-fledged regular for the first time after being in and out of the lineup with San Jose last season in his first NHL campaign.  He predominantly played on Edmonton’s third pairing, picking up 13 points, 97 blocked shots, and 125 hits while logging a little over 15 minutes a night of playing time.  He was third on the Oilers in shorthanded playing time per game behind blueliners Mattias Ekholm and Jake Walman.  With the former out for the first round and potentially longer, they’ll be counting on Emberson to take on an even bigger role on the penalty kill in their opening-round series against Los Angeles.

With this signing, Edmonton now has five of their regular blueliners signed for next season with Evan Bouchard in line for a significant raise as an arbitration-eligible RFA this summer.  However, Emberson is just one of two regular defenders signed for the 2026-27 campaign, joining Darnell Nurse, meaning that the back end could be heading toward a shakeup a couple of years from noww.

Minor Transactions: 4/18/25

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There will be several small roster moves today as playoff teams recall their required third goalie for practice and emergency backup purposes, and non-playoff teams conduct some end-of-season roster trimming. We’ll cover all those moves here:

  • The Blues announced they’ve recalled goaltender Will Cranley from ECHL Florida to serve as their emergency backup. St. Louis selected the 23-year-old in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He was previously added to the Blues’ practice roster for a day during the 4 Nations break while Jordan Binnington was traveling back from the tournament. He finished his second professional season with a 2.71 GAA, .896 SV%, two shutouts, and an 11-9-3 record in 23 ECHL games. He also logged a .867 SV% in a pair of appearances for AHL Springfield, the first of his career.
  • The Stars added defensemen Lian Bichsel and Alexander Petrovic back to the active roster after reassigning them to AHL Texas yesterday for cap purposes. They needed the space to activate Tyler Seguin from long-term injured reserve for the final game of the regular season. They’re expected to serve as the third pairing in Game 1 of the first round against the Avalanche tomorrow, per Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports. It’ll be the postseason debut for Bichsel, Dallas’ first-round draft choice in 2022. They also recalled goaltender Ben Kraws from ECHL Idaho as their EBUG. An undrafted free agent signing out of St. Lawrence last year, the 24-year-old impressed with a 2.88 GAA, .910 SV%, five shutouts, and a 23-12-5 record in 40 games for Idaho. He also posted a 3.01 GAA and .889 SV% in three appearances for AHL Texas, logging a 2-1-0 record.
  • Serving as the Avalanche’s EBUG will be Kevin Mandolese, the team announced. The 24-year-old has spent the year as Trent Miner’s backup with AHL Colorado after being acquired from the Senators over the offseason. He has a 2.87 GAA, .903 SV%, 11-6-0 record, and one shutout in 19 games.
  • Since the Wild’s AHL affiliate is one of the few to miss the cut for the Calder Cup Playoffs, they’re going with a higher-profile option for their EBUG. Top prospect Jesper Wallstedt will fill the role for them, according to a club announcement. The 2021 first-rounder is expected to succeed the retiring Marc-André Fleury as Filip Gustavsson’s backup next season, but is coming off a disastrous injury-plagued campaign with Iowa. He finished the year with a 3.59 GAA, .879 SV%, one shutout, and a 9-14-4 record in 27 showings.
  • The Panthers summoned Evan Cormier from ECHL Savannah to be their EBUG, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. The 27-year-old struggled with a 3.38 GAA, .887 SV%, one shutout, and a 17-13-4 record in 36 showings in 2024-25. He filled the same duties for the Cats in the first half of last year’s playoff run, signing a two-way deal at the trade deadline for the second season in a row.
  • The Penguins returned forwards Ville Koivunen, Joona Koppanen, Vasiliy Ponomarev, Samuel Poulin, Valtteri Puustinen, and defenseman Filip Král to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after their late-season call-ups. They’ll aid the Baby Pens as they aim to capture a Calder Cup. Not joining them is top prospect Rutger McGroarty, who sustained a lower-body injury last week and isn’t yet ready to return.
  • The Flames assigned forward Sam Morton and defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz to AHL Calgary after they made their NHL debuts in last night’s regular-season finale. Morton scored his first NHL goal in the outing, while Brzustewicz impressed with a plus-two rating. They’ll join the Wranglers for the postseason.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled enforcer Ryan Reaves from the minor leagues. Reaves recently played in his first AHL games since the 2010-11 season. He recorded one goal and, surprisingly, no penalty minutes in three games of play. The 38-year-old also recorded two assists and 28 penalty minutes in 35 NHL games this season. He’ll provide a boost of muscle to the Leafs lineup as they head towards a First Round matchup against the Ottawa Senators.
  • Defenseman Emil Andrae has been reassigned to the minor leagues after holding down a routine role on the Philadelphia Flyers lineup since early March. Andrae split his time between the major and minor rosters this season, with seven points in 42 NHL games and 16 points in 25 AHL games. He was primarily a minor-leaguer last season and managed a stout 32 points, 66 penalty minutes, and minus-10 in 61 games. With the Flyers season over, Andrae will look to again support the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a late-season push.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled depth forward Derek Ryan from the minor leagues. Ryan split time between the NHL and AHL this year, with one goal and six points in 36 games in the Oilers lineup. He also managed eight points in 13 AHL games. Ryan has played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on five different occasions, racking up 10 points in 60 games. That includes appearing in 19 games of Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Ryan contributed one assist to the effort. He’ll now be returned to the NHL roster to support another long run.
  • The Rochester Americans are getting a wave of strong recruits, as the Buffalo Sabres have reassigned each of Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak, Noah Ostlund, and Isak Rosen back to the minor leagues. Rosen leads Rochester in scoring this season with 28 goals and 55 points in 60 games. Ostlund has 36 points in 44 games, while Kozak has 14 points in 31 games. Kulich has been the only of the bunch to spend the bulk of the season in the NHL. He carved out a top-six role through points of the season. Kulich finished what was his rookie NHL season with 15 goals and 24 points in 62 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

11 Teams To Carry Bonus Overage Cap Penalties In 2025-26

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The end of the regular season also means the end of daily salary cap calculations across the NHL. With no more cap-related transactions left in the year, 11 teams have officially finished over the salary cap because players on entry-level or 35+ contracts earned performance bonuses that put them above the upper limit. They’ll carry bonus overage penalties in 2025-26 as a result. Those teams break down as follows, per PuckPedia:

Carolina Hurricanes: $33K – $1.076MM

Carolina’s numbers vary wildly here because of the $1.0375MM bonus rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin will incur if he wins the Conn Smythe. Their guaranteed $33K penalty comes from Logan Stankoven’s post-acquisition games-played bonuses. There’s the potential for an additional $5K penalty if rookie Juha Jaaska plays at least two playoff games. Carolina ends the year in LTIR, so they can’t afford any bonuses. They don’t have any other cap charges next year.

Dallas Stars: $368K

The Stars ended the year in LTIR, so all of Wyatt Johnston’s $319K in Schedule A bonuses and Logan Stankoven’s $49.5K games-played bonus, which they paid out before he was traded to the Hurricanes, count as penalties next year. Their total dead cap charges will total $1.801MM with another year of Ryan Suter’s buyout on the books.

Detroit Red Wings: $871K

Detroit ended the year with a comfortable $2.02MM in cap space but had $2.888MM in performance bonuses to dole out, so they’ll get hit with a six-figure penalty next year. Patrick Kane hit $1.75MM in games played bonuses this year as part of his 35+ contract, while Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper each hit multiple Schedule A bonus categories for $638K and $500K in respective bonuses. They also have a $1.056MM cap charge next season for the final year of Justin Abdelkader’s buyout, bringing their total dead cap next season to $1.927MM.

Edmonton Oilers: $150K – $250K

All of the Oilers’ penalties stem from Corey Perry’s 35+ contract after ending the season in LTIR. He’s already earned $150K in games played bonuses and could earn up to $100K in playoff bonuses – $50K if the Oilers win two rounds and Perry plays in either half of the second-round games or half of the total first and second-round games, and another $50K if they win three rounds and Perry plays in either half of the Western Conference Final games or half the total games through the WCF. That’s on top of the $2.3MM cap charge Edmonton faces from buying out Jack Campbell.

Los Angeles Kings: $213K

It’s simple here – the Kings couldn’t fit the performance bonus earned by Brandt Clarke for hitting 25 assists. That gives them $813K in dead cap next year, combined with the Mike Richards buyout.

Minnesota Wild: $1.1MM – $1.15MM

The Wild ended the year with just $36K in cap space, so virtually all of the performance bonuses earned by Marco Rossi and Brock Faber hitting their full complement of Schedule A targets ($850K and $250K, respectively) will count as a penalty. The number could increase slightly if rookie defenseman Zeev Buium plays five playoff games or wins the Conn Smythe, each landing him a $25K bonus. Minnesota’s total dead cap charges will be at least $2.767MM with Zach Parise’s and Ryan Suter’s buyouts still on the books, albeit at a drastically reduced cost from the last few years.

Montreal Canadiens: $1.728MM – $2.308MM

All of the Canadiens’ performance bonuses awarded this season will count toward their overage because they ended the year with Carey Price on long-term injured reserve to remain cap-compliant. Star rookie Lane Hutson maxed out his Schedule A bonuses for $750K, Juraj Slafkovsky earned $500K in A bonuses for finishing top-six among Montreal forwards in average time on ice and top-three in plus-minus rating, defenseman Kaiden Guhle maxed out his $420K in A bonuses, and rearguard Jayden Struble earned his $57.5K games played bonus. Their penalty will increase based on the performance bonuses rookie Ivan Demidov incurs in the postseason. He’ll earn $25K for five playoff appearances, $30K for 10, and a whopping $525K bonus if he wins the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Habs don’t have any other dead cap charges next year, but still have to contend with the final year of Price’s deal.

New Jersey Devils: $1MM

The Devils ended the season in long-term injured reserve and thus can’t afford reigning Calder Trophy finalist Luke Hughes’ $1MM in Schedule A bonuses. At present, it’s the only dead cap charge New Jersey will have next year.

New York Islanders: $600K – $850K

Mathew Barzal’s and Semyon Varlamov’s LTIR placements kept the Isles cap-compliant at season’s end, so the entirety of Matt Martin’s $100K in games played bonuses and Maxim Tsyplakov’s $500K in Schedule A bonuses (plus-minus and ice time). If Tsyplakov makes the NHL’s All-Rookie Team, he’ll incur an additional $250K bonus. New York doesn’t have any other dead cap charges next year.

St. Louis Blues: $2.153MM

The Blues are currently set to incur the most significant bonus overage penalty of any team next year. Most of that comes from the $2.225MM in performance bonuses awarded to veteran Ryan Suter in his 35+ contract last summer. He earned all of them, while sophomore Zachary Bolduc earned a $212.5K bonus for finishing in the top three in plus-minus rating among St. Louis forwards. Those, less the Blues’ $284K in season-ending cap space, give them a bonus overage carryover penalty of $2.153MM. Barring any buyouts this summer, that will comprise their entire dead cap hit for 2025-26.

Toronto Maple Leafs: $626K

Since they ended the season in LTIR, the performance bonuses Max Pacioretty earned for playing 37 games on his 35+ contract will count against the Leafs’ cap next year. As things stand, they could begin the year with an additional $300K in dead cap if Ryan Reaves and Matt Benning are buried in the minors as they were to end 2024-25.

The Capitals could find themselves added to this list if rookie Ryan Leonard wins the Conn Smythe. He’s owed $275K if he does, which the Caps can’t accommodate after ending the year in LTIR.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

Oilers' Darnell Nurse Suspended One Game

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  • Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended for one game for cross-checking Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, per an announcement from the Department of Player Safety. No details on if Byfield is injured have been released, though he was a scratch in Los Angeles’ final game of the season. Nurse will miss Edmonton’s season finale – an ultimately inconsequential game with the squad already locked into a First Round matchup with the Kings. As things stand, both Nurse and Byfield are expected to return for Game 1 of the postseason. Nurse will look to find a spark after netting 33 points in 76 games this season, while Byfield will continue his lead of the Kings’ lineup, after scoring 23 goals and 54 points in 80 games. Byfield ranks fourth on the Kings in scoring.

Poll: Who Will Be The Western Conference Champions?

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The Western Conference playoff field is set after the Wild and Blues took home wins last night in their final regular-season games. They both secure wild-card spots and lock in the following bracket:

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

That means it’s time to take out our crystal balls and look at who will represent the West in the Stanley Cup Final in a few months. For the wild-card clubs, it’s hard to imagine a more considerable disparity in upset difficulty than this year’s Western Conference. The Blues briefly jumped into the first wild-card spot following a 12-game win streak to get them into postseason position, but a 1-2-1 stretch to end the year had them fall back behind the Wild. That puts them in a Central Division bracket that includes the Presidents’ Trophy winners in Winnipeg and arguably the league’s two deepest offenses in Dallas and Colorado. All three teams finished in the top eight league-wide. There’s still upset potential there, given Jordan Binnington’s playoff history in the net and star center Robert Thomas playing the best hockey of his career (he’s fine after leaving last night’s game with a lower-body injury). Still, it’s a more challenging road on that side of the bracket. The last time Winnipeg and St. Louis met in the first round, though, the latter won the Stanley Cup.

The Jets enter postseason play as a wagon with a bandaged wheel. They got tough news yesterday with winger Nikolaj Ehlers aggravating a foot injury with a week-to-week designation, which almost certainly puts him out for the beginning of their series. While that’s a big blow to the league’s third-ranked offense, they’ll look to their top-ranked defense to hold up. While the skater core has done an exceptional job of limiting high-danger chances at even strength, most of the credit there remains with Vezina frontrunner and Hart candidate Connor Hellebuyck. After posting a .924 SV% and a 2.02 GAA in 62 appearances, can he replicate those numbers in postseason play? In the Hellebuyck era, the Jets have only won a playoff series when he records a save percentage above .920.

The Stars and Avs would likely end up being a second- or third-round matchup in a conference-based playoff format compared to the current divisional one. Perhaps no series has a more compelling storyline to open up the playoffs. Forget the Mikko Rantanen bowl – Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is trending toward a Game 1 return after missing nearly three years with right knee issues. Dallas, of course, will have to stop the Avs’ retooled offense, now featuring Charlie Coyle, Martin Nečas, and Brock Nelson, without star defenseman Miro Heiskanen to start the series and potentially for the entire first round. That’s in contrast to a Colorado skater core trending toward being fully healthy to begin the postseason. There is a risk for both of these clubs meeting so early on in the playoffs, though – can they get through this series and have enough energy left to spend on three more in their pursuit of the Cup?

On the Pacific side, the Knights are coming off their fifth division title in eight years as they begin their chase for their second Stanley Cup. Unlike past years, there was no deadline spending spree. Reacquiring 2023 Stanley Cup champion and Original Misfit Reilly Smith was their only move, along with signing free agent Brandon Saad mid-season. Amid injuries to core players Mark Stone and Shea Theodore, and even after losing multiple key names on the UFA market last summer, Vegas has chugged along with the league’s sixth-ranked offense and fourth-ranked defense. They continue to control play at 5-on-5, have one of the league’s best power plays, and have gotten strong play out of starter Adin Hill. Will breakout goal-scoring efforts from players like Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden hold up to give Vegas enough secondary scoring to make their third Stanley Cup Final appearance?

They’ll first have to unseat the Wild in the first round. Minnesota has been a shell of itself in the second half of the season and only went 9-8-3 after the trade deadline. Their key to playing spoiler is the return of forward cornerstones Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov from injury. The former has been spectacular since returning last week, closing the year with five goals in four games, including the game-tying goal that secured a point for the Wild last night and clinched their playoff berth. Filip Gustavsson is having a spectacular season between the pipes. While the Wild have bled low-danger chances at 5-on-5 this year, they’re still one of the better teams in the league at limiting quality looks against. They’ll need to keep games low-scoring for a chance at a Cinderella run.

For the fourth year in a row, the Kings and Oilers meet in the first round. This time, the former holds home ice advantage over the defending conference champions. Los Angeles is hot at the right time as they kick off the postseason and attempt to finally unseat Edmonton after a trio of series losses. They’re 17-4-0 since the trade deadline while outscoring opponents 80-39 – yes, that’s a 3.81 goals per game clip for a team that struggled to score for most of the season. Led by dueling 35-goal campaigns from Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe while trade deadline pickup Andrei Kuzmenko has fit like a glove with 17 points in 21 games, they may not have the franchise offensive talent Edmonton boasts, but they enter the series with a more mobile defense core and the clear edge in goaltending with 2022 Stanley Cup champion Darcy Kuemper having a renaissance season.

The Oilers will attempt to begin their journey toward a repeat Final appearance without their top two-way defenseman, Mattias Ekholm. He’s ruled out for the first round with an undisclosed injury and could even be done for the season. That forces Brett Kulak to step back into a top-four role on the blue line alongside Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, and crucial deadline pickup Jake Walman to begin the postseason. Will a continued MVP performance from Leon Draisaitl be enough for them to crack the Kings?

PHR readers, tell us who you think will sit atop the Western Conference when all is said and done and vote in the poll below:

If the poll doesn’t show up for you, click here to vote.

Photos courtesy of Matt Marton-Imagn Images and Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.

Oilers Recall Connor Carrick On Emergency Basis

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  • According to a team announcement, the Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Caleb Jones from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an emergency basis. Although he won’t be filling in for a defenseman, Jones’s recall is likely in response to Quinton Byfield sustaining an injury in last night’s contest against the Edmonton Oilers. Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Oilers’ defenseman Darnell Nurse will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Byfield, leading to his injury.
  • In another emergency recall, the Oilers have promoted defenseman Connor Carrick to the NHL level. Carrick’s recall could be due to the five defensemen injured on the Oilers’ blue line or because of the expected suspension looming for Nurse. The 31-year-old defenseman has scored 17 goals and 39 points in 60 games for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors this year.
  • In another move by the Oilers organization, their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield announced they’ve signed forward Matt Copponi to an amateur tryout agreement for the rest of the 2024-25 AHL season. Copponi, drafted by Edmonton with the 216th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, recently lost the 2025 NCAA National Championship with Boston University. Still, he was an effective secondary scorer for the Terriers’ program, putting up eight goals and 24 points in 40 contests this season.

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Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm Out For First Round

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April 14: Ekholm has been ruled out for the Oilers’ first-round series against the Kings, head coach Kris Knoblauch told broadcaster Bob Stauffer today. There’s still hope he could return later in the postseason if Edmonton manages to knock off L.A. without him.

April 12: The Oilers won’t have key two-way defenseman Mattias Ekholm available when they begin their first-round playoff series next weekend. He aggravated his undisclosed injury early in yesterday’s win over the Sharks and could even be ruled out for the season once testing is complete, Ryan Rishaug of TSN reports.

Ekholm had missed seven games with an undisclosed injury before returning against San Jose. Shortly before that, he’d missed six games with an illness. The stalwart Swede has only been available for five games since March 4. They’ve still managed to go 8-5-0 without him, though. It’s unclear when Ekholm sustained the injury against the Sharks, but he left after three shifts and only logged 1:52 of ice time.

There’s a strong argument to be made that Ekholm is Edmonton’s most crucial defenseman at even strength. He’s had another dominant season with his usual partner, Evan Bouchard, controlling 59.5% of expected goals as a pair (per MoneyPuck). When paired with Brett Kulak in Bouchard’s absence, their xG share drops to 57.1%. Offensively, he’s continued to hover above his career average as he has since the Oilers acquired him from the Predators at the 2023 trade deadline. With 9-24–33 in 65 games, he’s tied with Darnell Nurse for sixth on the team (and second among defensemen) in scoring. He’s averaged 22:12 per game, up by over a minute from last year. Most of that increase has come at even strength, although he’s also seen a small bump in his still-minimal power play deployment. He’s still managed seven power-play points (3 G, 4 A) despite averaging under a minute per game with the man advantage.

Even a best-case scenario will keep Ekholm out for “quite some time,” Rishaug writes. Reading between the lines, it’s plausible that Ekholm won’t be able to suit up against L.A. and will likely only be available to help them if they win at least one series without him.

That makes their deadline acquisition of Jake Walman from the Sharks all the more critical. Ekholm was a rock for Edmonton in last year’s run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, ranking fourth on the team with a plus-nine rating. He contributed 5-5–10 in 25 games and averaged nearly 22 minutes per game, third on the team behind Bouchard and Connor McDavid.

Of course, Walman doesn’t have the 112 games of postseason experience that the 34-year-old Ekholm has under his belt. He’s got just one, coming as a member of the Blues in their first-round loss to the Avalanche in 2021. He’s also missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury. With Ekholm’s absence confirmed to be longer-term, it’ll be interesting to see whether Walman gets slotted in top-pairing minutes with Bouchard when he’s ready to return or if he anchors a second pairing while Nurse slots in with Bouchard.

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Oilers Sign Quinn Hutson To Entry-Level Deal

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April 14: The Oilers announced Hutson’s deal this morning, making it official. PuckPedia reports his deal carries a cap hit of $875K and breaks down to an NHL salary of $787.5K, an annual signing bonus of $87.5K, and a minors salary of $85K. Naturally, his 2024-25 figures are prorated.

April 13: The Oilers are signing undrafted free agent winger Quinn Hutson to a two-year entry-level deal out of Boston University after the Terriers’ loss to Western Michigan in last night’s national championship game, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirms. Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects was the first to report the deal. Hutson will join Edmonton immediately and burn the first year of his contract, although he’s ineligible to suit up for them in the playoffs.

The older brother of presumptive Calder Trophy finalist Lane Hutson and Capitals prospect Cole Hutson turns pro following three years of college play. While the 5’11”, 170-lb righty was a productive top-six presence out of the gate, he reached new heights in his junior season in 2024-25. The Illinois native finished two points ahead of Cole to lead BU in scoring, posting 23-27–50 in 38 games. NCAA-wide, Hutson tied for ninth in goals, 15th in assists, finished ninth outright in points and ranked fourth in the country in points per game.

Arguably the top college free agent available, Hutson provides a significant jumpstart to a 29th-ranked Oilers prospect pool (per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic), even if he’s at the older end of the scale at 23 years old. It’s not as if this year’s breakout was entirely unforeseen. He flirted with the point-per-game mark last season and finished his college career with 56-58–114 in 117 games, seventh in the NCAA over the last three years.

The Oilers’ pool is extremely light on wingers, making Hutson all the more of an important pickup. Their two first-round picks in the system (Sam O’Reilly, Matthew Savoie) are both natural centers, and their best wing prospect before Hutson’s signing was the oft-injured Roby Jarventie, who’s a question mark to receive a qualifying offer this summer after appearing just twice for AHL Bakersfield in 2024-25.

Hutson will push for a spot on Edmonton’s opening night roster next fall as a cost-effective tertiary contributor, presumably in a third-line scoring role. The Oilers enter the offseason with nearly $13MM in space to fill four roster spots, but a significant portion of that money will likely go to pending RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard. They’ll need multiple low-cost players to punch above their weight on offense as a result.

Oilers Hoping To Sign Maxim Berezkin

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Over the past few days, we’ve seen a couple of KHL prospects sign with their respective NHL clubs with more potentially still to come.  It appears that the Oilers are hoping they’ll be able to join in as GM Stan Bowman indicated on an appearance on Oilers Now (audio link) that they’re hoping to sign winger Maxim Berezkin once his club team finishes up in the playoffs.

The 23-year-old was a fifth-round pick by Edmonton back in 2020, going 138th overall.  At the time, Berezkin had just finished up a solid junior season in Russia in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s system while also making his KHL debut.

Berezkin would bounce back and forth between the KHL and either the junior level or minor-league level for the next three seasons before finally becoming a full-time KHL piece last season.  That year, he notched eight goals and 22 assists in 62 games during the regular season before breaking out in the playoffs with 16 points in 20 appearances.

That set the expectations a little higher for Berezkin heading into this season and he delivered, tallying 15 goals and 27 assists in 62 games this season, good for second on the team in scoring.  He’s off to a solid start in the playoffs as well, collecting four points in five games so far to tie for the scoring lead.  With Lokomotiv the top seed in their conference, Bowman and the Oilers may have to wait a little longer before they can really kickstart negotiations about an entry-level contract for Berezkin.

Oilers Sign Atro Leppanen

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The Oilers will soon be announcing the addition of Quinn Hutson and they’ve made another addition to their prospect pool today.  The team announced that they’ve signed defenseman Atro Leppanen to a one-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal, which begins next season, were not disclosed by the team but PuckPedia reports that it will carry a $975K cap hit.

The 26-year-old is the definition of a late bloomer.  Just two seasons ago, Leppanen was playing in Finland’s second-tier Mestis but that year, he had a dominant showing with Kiekko-Espoo that saw him put up 23 goals and 35 assists in 51 games, finishing fourth in the league in scoring, tops among defensemen.  That earned him a tryout agreement with Sport at the Liiga level, one that he was able to convert to a full-season contract.

Last season, Leppanen did well in his first season with Sport, tallying 12 goals and 16 assists in 55 games, good numbers for a first-year defenseman.  But this year, he found an entire new gear.  Leppanen set a new league record for points by a blueliner (breaking a record shared by former NHLers Brian Rafalski and Pekka Rautakallio) while leading the entire league in scoring, collecting 21 goals and 42 assists in 60 games while averaging more than 23 minutes a night of playing time.

That performance had Leppanen on the radar heading into free agency.  It’s believed he had an SHL contract on the table but he was able to beat that with this deal.  It will be interesting to see if the Oilers envision Leppanen pushing for a spot at the end of the NHL roster to provide some secondary offense from the back end or if their intention is to start him with AHL Bakersfield.  As things stand, Edmonton has five of their regular blueliners under contract for 2025-26 with Evan Bouchard and Ty Emberson needing new deals as restricted free agents.

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