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Edmonton Oilers make five cuts and two players are on waivers

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Oct 2 2025, 9:14 pm
Edmonton Oilers make five cuts and two players are on waivers
Perry Nelson/Imagn Images

The Edmonton Oilers made some more difficult decisions this afternoon as they prepare their roster for the regular season.

The Oilers chose to assign defenceman Atro Leppanen, along with forwards Quinn Hutson and Josh Samanski, to the Bakersfield Condors. They also placed defencemen Cam Dineen and Riley Stillman on waivers for the purpose of assignment.

The Oilers also reassigned James Hamblin, Viljami Marjala, and Connor Clattenburg. The three had been cut earlier in the week but were recalled prior to Wednesday night’s game versus the Seattle Kraken due to a flu bug going through the dressing room.

All 31 teams will now have 24 hours to put in a claim for Dineen and/or Stillman, should they see fit. Dineen has logged 38 NHL games to date, while Stillman has suited up for 163.

With these latest cuts, the Oilers now have 16 forwards, eight defencemen, and two goalies that remain on their roster. They will need to get that total number down to 23 skaters ahead of the regular season, meaning three more players will be cut between now and their season opener on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

While none of these cuts come as a major surprise, seeing Leppanen’s name on this list did raise a few eyebrows. The 26-year-old was signed to a one-year entry-level contract last April, shortly after a season in the SM-Liiga, during which he set a league record with 63 points in 60 games with Sport Vaasa.

We could see further cuts from the Oilers as soon as Saturday afternoon, as their final preseason outing will take place on Friday evening versus the Vancouver Canucks. It will mark the second time these two have faced each other in the preseason, with the Oilers taking the first matchup on Sunday by a 4-3 final.

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