Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman made a concerted effort to upgrade the club's prospect pipeline between trades, free agent signings, and draft choices.
He acquired Hobey Baker winner Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning as well as signing a number of players from the NCAA and Europe. Players like Quinn Hutson, Viljami Marjala, and Joshua Samanski were all examples of this and have been dominating with the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate.
Hutson has had a few stints with the Oilers since signing last spring and after their recent roster move on Monday, Samanski is the latest. Going the other way to make room however is the aforementioned Howard.
The #Oilers have recalled forward Josh Samanski from the @Condors & loaned forward Isaac Howard to Bakersfield. pic.twitter.com/nm0A2bsPD5
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 26, 2026
Samanski recalled from Condors
Although Samanski was recalled and technically replaces Howard on the Oilers roster, it is unlikely that he directly replaces the 21 year old winger. They are two different players with different strengths and weaknesses.
Isaac Howard, despite his lack of production this season, is an offensively gifted forward whose calling card is his scoring ability and playmaking. He is also a winger who provides little in terms of his defensive value and is a smaller player.
Samanski is quite the opposite, he stands 6'2 and is known for having more of a two-way powerforward style. He has adapted well to the AHL as a top-six centre and is getting rewarded with some playing time before the Olympic break, where he is set to represent his home country of Germany alongside Oilers star, Leon Draisaitl.
He has the ability to play in all-situations, logging big minutes as a penalty killer this season with the Condors. On top of his impressive 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) through 39 games. This is an area that he could provide some value with the Oilers in, playing bottom-six minutes in defensive situations.
Could Samanski be the answer?
It is a lot of pressure to put on a young player but similar to the Oilers recall of Hutson a few weeks ago, this seems like a great way for the organization to evaluate it's internal depth. If Samanski proves he can hold his own weight at the NHL level in a bottom-six role, he may keep the club from making a big trade for a centre at the trade deadline.
This would not only be great for the franchise but if he can force his way into a third or fourth line role, he could be the push the Oilers depth needs. It would be a win-win as the Oilers would not need to spend assets on an upgrade and they would help graduate a prospect.
Along with their own internal evaluations, it is a great reward for the Oilers prospects to know that the club will reward them with an opportunity with the big club. It will also help the Oilers front office when recruiting undrafted free agents for the same reason as a selling point.