Why Edmonton Oilers prospect Josh Samanski is pushing for recall

The Edmonton Oilers’ top farm team, the AHL Bakersfield Condors, has been sending productive players to the parent team on the double this season. Forwards Ike Howard, Quinn Hutson, Connor Clattenburg and Max Jones have all shown well when receiving a call from the Oilers. Goaltender Connor Ingram has played so well that he’s pushing to stay as the backup. Defenceman Riley Stillman was in and out of the Edmonton lineup over recent days before heading back to the minors on Saturday.

The next recall might be centre Josh Samanski, who was recently added to Germany’s Olympic team. He’s a truly rare NHL prospect, offering speed, skill, and good size (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), but didn’t receive an NHL contract until the age of 23. He was never drafted and was a true NHL free agent when Oilers general manager Stan Bowman signed him on April 2, 2025.

Why is Samanski a likely recall? It’s actually a list.

Samanski’s strengths

This year’s Condors have the kind of quality and depth at the forward positions that have eluded the Oilers for 20 years. Hutson leads the league in goals and is third in points despite missing several games when recalled by the Oilers. Seth Griffith ranks No. 6 in AHL assists, and Howard ranks second in total points per game.

Samanski leads the entire group in even-strength points and scores well in points per game.

Player

Goals

Points

Pts-Game

Isaac Howard

1.06

Josh Samanski

0.67

Quinn Hutson

0.64

Roby Jarventie

0.62

All numbers via theahl.com

Samanski doesn’t drive the team’s top line; both Howard and Hutson are more substantial offensive contributors. He does contribute and can be considered a strong passer with a willingness to drive to the net. Showing plus speed, he’s a load for opposition defencemen and opens up plenty of space for Howard, Hutson, Jarventie and others. He’s the No. 6 ranked prospect in the system and owns a fairly complete skill set. The fact that he was undrafted becomes more of a story every game, and it’s a credit to the Oilers’ European scouting that they were able to identify the talent and sign him first.

His foot speed hasn’t been tracked yet by NHL Edge, but the eye test tells us he’s fast for the AHL. The minor leagues don’t track playing time (he’s on the ice more than most Condors forwards) or faceoff percentage (he was at 44 percent during preseason with the Oilers, via Natural Stat Trick).

Fans can be confident Samanski has a range of skills, is a centre (some pivots land on the wing as they move up the depth chart) and is NHL-ready.

Things to work on

Samanski has 36 shots on goal in 33 AHL games entering Saturday’s league schedule. Although he secured the top-unit role ahead of centres James Hamblin, Viljami Marjala and others, Samanski needs to be more than a pass-first option at even strength. He does have a 16.7 percent shooting percentage, so a more selfish shooting approach could benefit him in added goals scored.

NHL role

At the NHL level, Samanski will be a complementary offensive player. That’s reflected in his AHL role (first-line centre, penalty killer) and the jobs he doesn’t fill (power play).

His resume screams bottom-six centre, and the numbers love him in this area. The AHL doesn’t track even-strength goals but lists each player on the ice and the game state in which each goal was scored. Through 33 games, here’s how the top Condors forwards are performing at even strength.

Player

EV GF

EV GA

Pct

Ike Howard

Quinn Hutson

James Hamblin

Josh Samanski

Roby Jarventie

All numbers via theahl.com

It’s easy to imagine Samanski sliding onto an NHL depth line as a two-way centre. He will play a complementary offensive role, but has the awareness required to play a complete game. He could be a week or one year from Edmonton, but based on the eye test and math, Samanski is ready and should be considered as a strong option for the next recall.

The unknowns

There are things about Samanski that are not yet clear. We don’t know what we don’t know about his foot speed. We do know that Condors coach Colin Chaulk uses Samanski over speed burner James Hamblin (84th percentile max skating speed last time he was in the NHL), and that’s a positive indicator.

Samanski’s size allows him to play in all game states, and he thrives. He doesn’t get power-play time, but that gives his AHL boxcars (6-20-26 in 33 games) added importance: There’s no air to let out of the tires his Bakersfield offence implies (about 30 points in the NHL over a complete 82-game season).

When Samanski arrives, he won’t be playing with the most talented wingers on the Oilers roster. He could play with Howard and Hutson, reprising the role Bakersfield’s top line starred in during the fall and early winter in the AHL.

Bottom line

Samanski was undrafted and didn’t sign an NHL deal until he was 23. He has size, skill, speed and doesn’t shy from the physical side of the game. How on Earth did NHL scouts miss? The answer is no mystery. Samanski blossomed later than many young players and took a little time to get noticed by the NHL.

In the AHL, he’s a quality two-way centre. Much of his offence comes from even-strength minutes, and he can score (and make effective passes) off the rush. Given time, he should be able to score (and outscore) opposition given an NHL chance, especially if provided with talented wingers.

It’s likely his NHL debut, when it comes, will see Samanski alongside veteran names like Mattias Janmark and Curtis Lazar. A fourth-line role is the perfect spot for him, but the goals might be hard to come by in the early going.

Estimating the time of NHL arrival for Samanski is difficult. Edmonton lost a useful depth centre (Noah Philp) to waivers recently, but is having success with Jack Roslovic and Lazar on the third and fourth lines, respectively.

Samanski could be a name you hear in the next few weeks, or it could come next season. One thing is clear: He’s an integral part of a Condors team that has more quality talent pushing for NHL jobs than we’ve seen in years. Samanski is part of that group and could be the next man up.

RETRUI