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Should Josh Samanski get a bigger opportunity in the NHL with the Oilers?
Photo credit: © Amber Searls-Imagn Images
As the 2026 Winter Olympics continue in Italy, Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are making their long‑awaited Olympic debuts. But, a third Oiler has joined them at these Games: NHL rookie Josh Samanski.
The undrafted 23‑year‑old forward has had a rather unique journey, one that has now carried him onto hockey’s biggest stages in the NHL and the Olympics. Born in Erding, Germany, Samanski dominated the German U16 ranks as a young player, producing a whopping 106 points in 36 games with the Jungadler Mannheim U16 team in 2017-18. He would then arrive in North America, spending one season with the Brantford 99ers of the OJHL in 2018-19, and then one season with the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL in 2019-20. But following this junior stint in Ontario, Samanski returned to Germany, proceeding to play four consecutive seasons with the Straubing Tigers of the DEL, Germany’s top league. In particular, he had an excellent campaign in the 2024-25 season in which he recorded 40 points in 52 games. Then, in April of 2025, the Edmonton Oilers signed him to a two‑year, $1.95M contract.
Samanski has spent the majority of the 2025-26 season with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL, producing 28 points in 39 games and playing strong two-way hockey. His performance helped earn him an NHL recall on January 26, 2026, bringing him up to the Oilers ahead of the Olympic break. He appeared in five NHL games before the pause, and is now in Milan, representing Team Germany at the Winter Games alongside Draisaitl.
However, it is unclear if Samanski will have a regular role with Edmonton after the Olympics. He was sent back down to Bakersfield following Edmonton’s most recent game, but although this is likely just a paper transaction, there is no guarantee he will be recalled to the NHL. Considering that he only averaged 9 minutes in the five NHL games he played, he hasn’t exactly earned the coaching staff’s full trust yet.
So, what should the Oilers do here? Should Samanski remain in Bakersfield, or does he deserve a greater opportunity with Edmonton?
Now, before we attempt to answer this question, let us briefly discuss the performance of Edmonton’s bottom-six thus far this season, which has… not been good.
Without McDavid and Draisaitl on-ice at 5-on-5, the Oilers have been out-scored 32 to 60. That equates to a 35 percent goal share, the absolute worst it has ever been in the McDavid and Draisaitl era. It has even somehow managed to rank below the teams during the Peter Chiarelli era.
There have been multiple bottom-six forwards who have greatly disappointed this season. Most notably, Trent Frederic has had a disastrous season to date, recording a mere 3 points in 55 games, with his underlying numbers not ranking any better. After Frederic, Mattias Janmark ranks second-last among the team’s forwards in 5-on-5 goal share, with the Oilers being out-scored 8 to 18 with him on-ice, a 31 percent goal share. Adam Henrique is at a similar spot with a 32 percent goal share.
Now, what about Samanski?
Through five NHL games thus far, Samanski has recorded 2 points, a 57 percent goal share (4 goals for, 3 goals against), and a 59 percent faceoff win percentage. His advanced underlying numbers are even better, as his expected goal share is 59 percent and his shot share is a fantastic 68 percent, the latter of which means that the Oilers have controlled over two-thirds of the 5-on-5 shots with Samanski on-ice. By eye, he has skated and forechecked well.
Of course, five games is a tiny sample, far too small to draw firm conclusions. But that being said, it’s absolutely worth noting that Samanski also had a 56 percent goal share at even-strength in Bakersfield (per Allan Mitchell / Lowetide).
Furthermore, despite not playing for Bakersfield in several weeks, he still sits tied for first on the Condors with 22 even‑strength points per AHL Tracker. In fact, at the time of his NHL recall, he actually ranked sixth in the entire AHL in five‑on‑five scoring (per Bruce Curlock on January 26). He is also gaining valuable experience in the Olympics, skating on Draisaitl’s wing and averaging over 20 minutes after two games.
All things considered, if the question is why the Oilers should give Samanski a bigger role, my answer is simple: why not?
To this point, Samanski has done everything asked of him. He has produced in the DEL, he has been an even better 5-on-5 producer at the AHL level, and he has driven play in limited minutes in the NHL thus far. Alongside his production, Samanski also brings size, strong forechecking, and responsible defensive awareness, traits that can be extremely beneficial for a bottom-six group that has allowed goals against all season. This is also a player that will come back with a boost of confidence after logging huge minutes at the Olympics against some of the world’s best.
And really, what’s the harm in giving him a greater opportunity? I can’t see him performing worse than Frederic, Janmark and Henrique have at 5-on-5 this season, all of whom sit well below replacement-level in goal share. We already know what Frederic, Janmark, and Henrique are at this stage of the season, while Samanski, on the other hand, is much more an unknown, one who has shown well in limited minutes. What do you have to lose by giving him a bigger shot?
In the worst-case scenario, Samanski merely performs at the same level as the existing depth options, which leaves the Oilers no worse off and gives them useful information they didn’t have before.
In the best‑case scenario, they discover that they have a legitimately effective 23-year-old depth forward at the NHL level, one that can provide value on both sides of the puck. Perhaps there is even a chance he could be the reliable 3C that Edmonton’s third-line desperately needs.
All-in-all, Samanski has performed well in the minutes that he has played thus far, and there is virtually zero downside to giving him a bigger opportunity before the playoffs to see what he can truly do. We’ll see in less than two weeks if the coaching staff will agree.
*All data via Natural Stat Trick and Elite Prospects unless stated otherwise
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