Stan Bowman has built a reputation on finding value where other teams aren’t looking, and Josh Samanski fits that mold almost perfectly. Edmonton signed him on April 2, 2025, and at the time plenty of Oilers fans were left wondering who he was. A season later, that question looks a lot less mysterious.
Samanski’s route to the NHL was anything but straight. He went undrafted, played one OHL season, then returned to Germany and worked his way through the DEL and DEL2. Over his last three DEL seasons, he kept climbing - 18 points, then 27, then 40 - enough production to earn a two-year deal from Bowman.
He rewarded that bet in Bakersfield. Samanski became one of the Condors’ most dependable centers, finishing with 31 points in 45 AHL games while handling penalty-kill duty. He also got into 24 NHL games with Edmonton and picked up four points along the way.
The playoffs only strengthened his case. Samanski dressed for five of Edmonton’s six postseason games and added two points, showing poise in a tougher environment. Late in the year, he clicked on a line with Trent Frederic and Colton Dach and eventually claimed the fourth-line center spot.
He didn’t look like a placeholder. He looked like he belonged.
There’s also a lot to like underneath the surface. Samanski is a bigger center who does the little things that keep depth forwards on the ice. His 48.2% faceoff rate got better as the season went on, and his defensive work drew praise from people who study the tape closely.
Dennis King - respected Oilers analyst, longtime blogger, and fresh off a Cup win as a Hurricanes scout - said this about Samanski:
“Cheats for defense and I say that with admiration… there’s more offense here than you might think, especially with transporting and playmaking.”
Sid, another analytic voice around the Oilers, was even more direct:
“Samanski was Edmonton’s only bottom‑six forward with 200+ TOI and a positive goal share (54%) last season. He also posted the lowest (i.e. best) xGA/60 among all Oilers players. Should be a lock in Edmonton’s lineup.”
That’s the kind of profile teams value. Samanski didn’t just hang around; he helped tilt the ice. If even a little more offense comes out of his game, the ceiling gets interesting.
His game has traveled beyond North America, too. Samanski played for Germany at the 2024-25 World Championships and put up five points in seven games.
This past season, he skated on the German Olympic team alongside Leon Draisaitl, often on his wing, and finished with two points in five games. He handled the pace and the skill level without looking overmatched.
That versatility could matter for Edmonton. He has shown he can play center, and he also has the ability to line up on the wing, which gives the Oilers another option if they want a defensively responsible player next to more offensive talent.
If the upward trend keeps going, Samanski is more than just a fourth-line center. He has a real chance to work his way into the top nine. The defensive reliability is already there, the penalty-kill value is obvious, and the offensive game has enough hints to make you wonder what comes next.
For a team that needs cheap, dependable depth, Samanski checks a lot of boxes. And if he keeps building on what he showed last season, he might end up being one of Edmonton’s quieter but more important finds.
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