Oilers News & Rumours: Podkolzin, Leppanen, McDavid

With the 2025-26 season rapidly approaching, the Edmonton Oilers are hoping they can find a way to finally win their first Stanley Cup since 1990 after coming up just short against the Florida Panthers for two straight seasons.

Related: “No Term”: McDavid’s Words Have Oilers Fans Speculating

In this edition of Oilers News & Rumours, we look at the extension to Vasily Podkolzin, some kind words from pundits about Atro Leppänen, and the status of Connor McDavid.

Podkolzin Signs Three-Year Extension

On Tuesday (Sept. 23) morning, the Oilers announced they had signed forward Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year extension, which begins in the 2026-27 season, and has a $2.95 million average annual value.

PODZ‼️

The #Oilers have signed forward Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year contract extension with an AAV of $2.95 million. pic.twitter.com/ignYoUR9VO

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 23, 2025

Podkolzin, who is 24 years old, scored eight goals and added 16 assists for 24 points through 82 games in his first campaign with the Oilers last season. He was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks last offseason in exchange for a draft pick and stepped into a top-six role alongside Leon Draisaitl almost immediately.

Throughout his career, he has scored 26 goals and added 33 assists for 59 points through 219 games, and has been praised by fans for his physical style of play. He has earned a raise from his current $1 million cap hit, and now the team will be keeping him around for at least three more seasons.

Newcomer Atro Leppänen Earns Praise

When the Oilers announced that they had signed defender Atro Leppänen, fans were expecting some added organizational depth that could help them in the event of any injuries, but he has made quite a first impression.

One player who stood out at today’s @EdmontonOilers scrimmage IMO was LD Atro Leppanen.
The 26 year-old led the Finnish League in scoring last season.
He is smart and processes the game quickly.
Can make plays under duress and reads and reacts well with top end players.

— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) September 20, 2025

Leppänen set an all-time Liiga record for points by a defender last season, scoring 21 goals and adding 42 assists for 63 points through 60 games. Through two seasons in the Liiga, Leppänen scored 33 goals and added 58 assists for 91 points through 115 games.

McDavid Speculation Update: Nothing Has Changed

The only thing Oilers fans seem to care about right now is what is happening with captain Connor McDavid. Every single post that the Oilers make on social media is met with “Where is the extension?” or “This isn’t the McDavid extension.”

Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that has changed for a while. At this time, McDavid wants to remain patient as he works through considering his future, and the Oilers continue to respect his wishes as they try to make a push for a championship.

With the season approaching and no extension before the first game looking like a possibility, fans have begun to worry in Edmonton. However, management and people within the Oilers’ organization have stated several times that they aren’t worried and don’t see a reason to panic right now.

For now, the team is focused on winning, not what’s going on behind the scenes.

As the 2025-26 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.