Most Edmonton Oilers fans were aware of Stan Bowman’s managerial track record on the day he arrived as the team’s new general manager. He had a reputation for swinging impressive deals (starting with Nick Leddy), signing impact European free agents (notably Artemi Panarin) and winning Stanley Cups.

Bowman’s ability to find free-agent talent from anywhere in the hockey world should be of high value for the Oilers, since most of the team’s draft picks and prospects have been sent away by a series of “runaway train” deadlines in pursuit of a championship. Don’t expect anything close to Panarin from the group signed for the coming season — there was no one at that level available — but there is talent coming from overseas this fall.

Changes 

Bowman has had irons in the fire in the procurement department since his arrival last year. First, the Oilers acquired an NHL-ready (or close) scoring winger in Ike Howard, an acknowledgement that youth and a first-shot scorer were badly needed immediately. The deal was reminiscent of the Ryan McLeod for Matt Savoie deal one year ago, and moves up the talent timeline for the organization.

Second, Bowman cast about all over the hockey world to increase the quality and depth of talent on the AHL team this winter. The Bakersfield Condors will deploy several European free agents this fall, and some of those men could land in the NHL with the Oilers by spring.

Since this is an area of strength for Bowman, it’s a good idea to go back several months and see what experts were saying about the men who would eventually land on Edmonton’s 50-man roster for the coming season.

In February 2025, Corey Pronman at The Athletic ranked Finnish defenceman Atro Leppänen No. 2 among available free agents. Pronman noted his eye-popping statistics (20 goals by late February) while cautioning that his later-career spike in performance (age 26) couldn’t be trusted as it might with a younger player. “He’s a good skater with decent hockey sense and a big point shot,” wrote Pronman. “His defending and compete aren’t massive selling points, though.” For the Oilers, a team focused on puck movement and employing skilled skaters, Leppänen represents a quality addition.

Right after the club signed Swedish centre David Tomasek, Scott Wheeler at The Athletic commented on X: “One of the better players in Europe over the last couple of years. Good-sized center who has produced at the top of the SHL but is also really reliable defensively. Excellent in the faceoff circle. Drove play. Competitive. Should add to the Oilers’ depth down the middle.”

Leppänen and Tomasek should be considered the strongest contenders for roster spots this fall with Edmonton. However, there’s little room to grow from what these men will be at training camp, as both are in their late 20s.

Based on Edmonton’s roster and opportunities that could be available this fall, Tomasek has the better chance to stick. He’ll battle Noah Philp, Curtis Lazar and others for playing time as a depth centre, unless he has an immediate offensive impact as a skill winger. Both men would be exceptional mentors in the AHL based on experience.

If the first-blush signings by Bowman from Europe are going to have similar success to his Blackhawks signings (like Erik Gustafsson, Pius Suter and Dominik Kubalik), bet on Leppänen or Tomasek to make it happen.

Under the radar

Josh Samanski is 23 and stands 6-foot-3, 189 pounds. He is a centre from Germany who (like Leppänen and Tomasek) led his team in points during the 2024-25 season. Samanski played in the German league, which is not considered as strong as the Swedish or Finnish leagues because it doesn’t produce NHL players at the same rate.

Samanski’s youth is an attractive part of his resume. His skill development has probably reached its highest level at 23, but there’s plenty that can be learned during an entry-level deal; he is signed for two seasons, then becomes a restricted free agent. AHL centres with size and skill are rare, so even if he falls shy of the NHL, there’s a role if he can thrive in Bakersfield. Reports on his skating are positive.

Probably the most obscure player secured by Bowman this signing season is Finnish forward Viljami Marjala. He is the youngest of the European signings at 22 and has an interesting resume. Marjala’s passing ability is exceptional: he delivered 44 assists in the Liiga, the same league Leppänen dominated. Marjala’s impressive season came at age 21, meaning he is the one player in Bowman’s European group who could still develop his skills in the next couple of seasons. I ranked Marjala No. 13 in this summer’s top 20 Oilers prospects article based on his impressive passing ability. (Samanski is No. 17.)

Contracts 

NHL teams give fans an indication of how important new signings are based on salary, term and type of contract. Here’s a look at each of the signings with clues about how the Oilers see each one:

PlayerNHL CapAHL $Length

$1.2M

$1.2M

1 year (UFA)

$975,000

$85,000

1 year (UFA)

$975,000

$85,000

2 years (RFA)

$872,500

$85,000

2 years (RFA)

There are interesting wrinkles to each contract, and they give us some clues about what the player and organization each value.

In the case of Tomasek, it’s a one-year NHL deal (one-way) that holds opportunity and risk. If Tomasek has a big season, the pressure will be on the organization to sign him long-term. The window of opportunity is also short, so Bowman doesn’t carry a lot of downside risk with Tomasek. If he struggles, the club can dispatch the player to Bakersfield with little cap impact. There are no bonuses in the deal.

Leppänen’s deal is a two-way contract, paying him $87,500 if he spends the season with the Condors. There is a $97,500 signing bonus, suggesting the number of teams in pursuit was shy of Tomasek’s interest level. When Ken Holland signed Joakim Nygaard out of Finland in 2020, there were more clubs interested and the player got a one-year NHL deal with a high AHL salary. This suggests Bakersfield is likely, especially at the start of the season. He could be an injury recall, or force the issue with impact play in the AHL.

For Samanski, his two-way deal has some interesting wrinkles. He receives a $97,500 signing bonus in both years of the contract, and a $1 million performance bonus achievable in year two of the deal. The Oilers see him as an AHL option for 2025-26, but do see potential here.

Finally, Marjala gets a lower cap but $102,500 in performance bonuses for each of his two seasons. He also receives $97,500 in signing bonuses both years.

Bottom line

Back to the original question: What should the fans expect? In the future, expectations should be even higher, owing in part to innovations by the Oilers spearheaded by Kalle Larsson. Daniel Nugent-Bowman wrote about Larsson and the Oilers’ development vision recently here at The Athletic, and some of their work could see NHL ice this fall.

Expect Tomasek to make the Oilers (or close) out of camp. Leppänen should impress in Bakersfield and eventually see a recall to Edmonton. The younger players will establish their level of ability with the Condors and push for NHL work in the seasons to come.

Larsson’s work, as described by Nugent-Bowman, appears to be a real innovation designed to overcome a lack of draft picks and a prospect pool that is not strong at this time.

In the meantime, Bowman’s European signings will be interesting to track in the year to come. It could be the beginning of a productive prospect pipeline.

(Photo of Atro Leppänen: Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty Images)