The present application and the resultant patent provide an axial compressor for a gas turbine engine. The compressor may include a rotor disk positioned along an axis of the compressor. The rotor disk may include a slot defined about a radially outer surface of the rotor disk, and the slot may include a slot planar surface facing away from the rotor disk. The compressor also may include a compressor blade coupled to the rotor disk via the slot. The compressor blade may include a platform positioned over the radially outer surface of the rotor disk, and the platform may include a platform sealing edge facing toward the rotor disk. The compressor further may include a gap defined between the platform sealing edge and the slot planar surface, wherein the gap is configured to control a flow of leakage air from a high-pressure side of the compressor blade to a low-pressure side of the compressor blade. The present application and the resultant patent further provide a related method of controlling stage-to-stage leakage in an axial compressor of a gas turbine engine.