Continuing our prospect rankings at Oil on Whyte, we are now onto our penultimate ranking article and at No. 2 on our Oilers 2026-27 top 10 prospect rankings; Josh Samanski.
The 24 year old German centre possesses good size at 6'2 198lbs, affording him the ability to hold his own against men. Samanski is an undrafted prospect who signed a two-year entry-level contract ahead of the 2025-26 season. He has risen the hockey ranks quickly the last few seasons and subsequently, the Oilers prospect rankings.
He has gone from the German DEL where he played with the Straubing Tigers, to the Oilers American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, to finishing last season with the Oilers and now getting an emergency recall to play in the NHL.
In the year before he was signed by the Oilers, he played 52 games with the Tigers scoring 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points. His high production placed him first in the entire DEL in points for a U-23 player. He then moved to North America last season, starting the year with the Condors where he played 45 games, scorign eight goals and 23 assists for 31 points playing as the top pivot for the club.
His play earned him a call-up to the NHL where he played 24 games and scored four points (two goals, two assists). Along with a nod for the German National team at the 2026 Olympic Winter games and the Men's World Championships.
Future outlook
Technically speaking, Samanski did not make the Oilers season opening roster. He was a late cut to their roster as the club finalized their 23-man unit. However, after Zach Hyman went down and the Oilers injuries continued to pile up, Samanski was an emergency recall to fill the vacancy on their roster.
Although he likely gets sent back down before long, he has the opportunity to prove himself and remain up with the club if he plays himself into a role. There is a world where he is able to overtake a few players on the roster and win back the trust of Mike Babcock and the coaching staff moving forward. If he can do that, his path to the NHL is clear and he will be a bonafide NHL player by season's end.
However, if Samanski gets sent back down, he will have to spend time working on his game and proving he deserves another shot. Babcock when speaking about what Samanski must do when in the AHL said "You have to become an elite face-off guy, elite penalty killer, a great two-way defensive center to play here,".
Luckily, Samanski has proven he can be a defensively responsible centre, with great two-way habits and some slick playmaking. Towards the end of last year, he looked poised to become the Oilers shutdown centre of the future due to his defensive abilities.
NHL potential
When looking at what Samanski could bring to an NHL role, the baseline of him being a bottom-six shutdown centre makes sense. He has the size to compete and physically impose himself on players with the intelligence to snuff out opposing offensive opportunities. If that is all he is, as an undrafted European free agent, it is a huge win.
However, his ability to produce offence at every level, does seem to indicate that he has more to offer an NHL club. To me, I would place his ceiling somewhere in the ballpark of a third-line or middle-six centre who can play in all-situations. A player who fits a similar bill to Phillip Danault or Anthony Cirelli but a poor man's version.
Of course, his NHL projection is not guaranteed, especially with where he is right now. But, the skillset is evident and he has experience, something that is valuable for the Oilers or even another team. It seems likely that at the very least, he could become a call-up option to fill in down the middle, even if he never becomes a permanent NHL fixture.
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