The Edmonton Oilers made a pair of roster moves ahead of tonight’s game, activating forward Colton Dach from injured reserve and sending forward Josh Samanski back to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
Dach is set to return to the lineup after missing just three games. He had been on injured reserve since October 7th with an undisclosed injury, and while he has dealt with injuries before, this one was described as relatively minor compared to some of the others he has endured. Before getting hurt, the 23-year-old former second-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks went scoreless in three games and finished with a -4 rating.
Samanski heads back to Bakersfield after appearing in six games with Edmonton. In limited ice time, he managed one assist while averaging 7:44 per game.
Now he’ll return to the Condors, where he had a strong run last season, putting up eight goals and 31 points in 45 games. He also represented Team Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, picking up a goal and an assist in five games.
Dach won’t be the only familiar face back in the Oilers’ lineup tonight. Earlier in the day, defenseman Jake Walman and forward Zach Hyman said they would play. Jason Gregor of The Nation Network also reported that forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Dickinson are expected back during next week’s homestand.
Edmonton has managed to keep the train moving despite an early wave of injuries in the 2026-27 season. The Oilers dropped their opener in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks, then won five straight before falling to the Utah Mammoth on Thursday.
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