Atro Leppanen’s path to the NHL still looks crowded, but the numbers from Bakersfield make one thing clear: the 27-year-old defenseman made a real case for himself once he settled in.
He did not start smoothly at even strength with the Condors, especially while paired early with Cam Dineen. But the picture changed when Leppanen moved in with rookie Beau Akey and found a better fit by the end of the season.
The early stretch was rough. In his first 17 games, Leppanen was 10-20 in goals at even strength, or 33 percent. Over his final 36 games, though, he flipped that to 29-24, good for 55 percent.
That late surge came with production, too. Leppanen led Bakersfield’s blue line in goals, assists, points, even strength goals, assists, points, power play goals, assists and points. His five power-play goals were second among AHL defensemen.
The Oilers’ left-side depth chart is still the obstacle. Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, Ryan Shea, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Damien Carfagna are all in the way, and Leppanen’s chances of pushing through that group are slim.
Still, there are reasons he remains worth watching. He played well in preseason for Edmonton, and his game brings something different.
Craig MacTavish once coached with a heavy defensive mindset, and Mike Babcock fits that mold too, but both valued players who could fill a role even when the style got a little messy. Leppanen’s play after the early wobble was described as quite responsible, and his skill set stands out.
That was part of the appeal in the first place. In an earlier take, Leppanen was described as “from a pure entertainment point of view, Leppänen is a blast for fans to observe.
He can pass, shoot, skate and make plays at a high level. Bakersfield fans enjoyed some electric offence from Leppänen a year ago, and there’s more to come this fall.
Unless injuries hit in a big way, his NHL aspirations will land shy. At least in Edmonton.”
Jouni Nieminen, a Finnish sports journalist based in Edmonton, also pushed the case for him, tweeting: “Nobody is talking about Atro this year. Just like nobody talked about him in Finland before, either.
And look what he did. Hope he gets a chance this year.
He has a very particular set of skills, as Liam Neeson would say. He didnt really become a fulltime pro until about three years ago, and he is 27 now.
The Natural!”
Whether that chance comes with the Oilers or not, Leppanen has already shown he can rebound from a slow start and drive play from the back end. That alone keeps him in the conversation.
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