Although the Edmonton Oilers re-signed veteran pivot Jason Dickinson to a five-year contract extension, they still have a young up-and-coming centre in Josh Samanski. He will surely push his way onto the opening night roster and likely be nipping at the heels of Dickinson for as long as the Oilers coaching staff will make him.
Samanski ended last season, after being called-up and making his NHL debut in January, having played 24 games scoring two goals and two assists for four points.
Samanski will be battling for a spot in the top-nine
Samanski is a natural born centre but played some wing at times this season, especially alongside Dickinson to create a defensive shutdown unit. There is the possibility that Samanski could fit into a third line defensive role, especially with the absence of Kasperi Kapanen, who is expected to walk in free agency next month.
Using the evolving-hockey.com model, Samanski was the Oilers top ranked forward in terms of corsi against per 60 minutes and expected goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, relative to his teammates. This is huge for a rookie and given his usage in a defensive-heavy role, it bodes well for his future potential as a shutdown piece.
On top of his defensive prowess, Samanski has shown some legitimate offensive potential at every level. In his native Germany, he played for the Straubing Tigers of the DEL, putting up impressive numbers and leading all U-23 skaters in scoring. Through 52 games, he scored 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points, putting him 19th all-time in that age category.
In his first North American pro season, he settled in well scoring 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 45 games played with the Oilers American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. He has also been a productive player for Germany at various international tournaments from the Men's World Championships to the Olympic Games and the World Juniors.
Samanski makes the Dickinson extension redundant
Samsnki's defensive game is what makes the extension of Dickinson at such a high cap dollar amount a little puzzling. Samanski has shown the capability of playing in a bottom-six defensive role and with the development runway at just 24 years old, it makes the most sense to give him time to develop in that role.
The Oilers did not need to commit term and money to a third line centre because Samanski has shown the potential to be that player. At most, the team should have sought a stop-gap player to fill the hole for a season or two until Samanski is ready to take up the mantle.
For now, Samanski will just have to prove his mettle and win out a top-nine spot with the Oilers and with a new coach coming into the mix, he may be able to do just that.
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