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Josh Samanski has been assigned to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
The Olympic break could not have come at a better time for the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers struggled big time leading up to the Olympic break, as they have lost each of their last three games in regulation.
The Oilers’ three-game losing streak started off with an ugly 7-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 31. The Oilers then followed that up with another bad performance, as they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 5-2 final. Then, in their last game before the break, the Oilers lost to the Calgary Flames by a 4-3 final score.
With their ongoing struggles, the Oilers now have a 28-22-8 and are second in the Pacific Division standings with 64 points. However, the Seattle Kraken (63 points), Anaheim Ducks (63 points), Los Angeles Kings (60 points), and San Jose Sharks (58 points) are all right behind them, so the Oilers will need to pick things up once the break is over.
Yet, with the Olympics just about here, the Oilers have announced some news regarding forward Josh Samanski.
Oilers Assign Josh Samanski Back to Bakersfield Condors
On Thursday, the Oilers announced that they have assigned Samanski to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. This came after the 23-year-old forward played in his first five career NHL games during his call-up with the Oilers, where he recorded two assists, four hits, and a plus-1 rating.
While Samanski has been sent back down to the Condors’ roster, it is fair to say that he left a solid first impression while with the Oilers. Due to this, it would not be surprising in the slightest if the Oilers called up the 6-foot-2 forward to their NHL roster again before the 2025-26 season is over.
Samanski signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers last April. This was after the big forward spent this past season in the German DEL with the Straubing Tigers, where he had 14 goals, 26 assists, 40 points, and a plus-1 rating. With numbers like these, there is no question that he had a strong year with Straubing in 2024-25.
Samanski has also shown promise while with the Condors this season. In 39 games with the AHL club so far this campaign, the Erding, Germany native has posted seven goals, 21 assists, 28 points, and a plus-8 rating. With this, there is no question that he possesses some offensive upside and has the potential to become a solid player for the Oilers later down the road.
Samanski Set to Play for Germany at the Olympics
While Samanski has been sent down to the Condors’ roster, he will not be joining the AHL club immediately. This is because the young forward will be representing Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Samanski is not the only Edmonton player who will be playing for Team Germany, though. This is because Oilers superstar forward Leon Draisaitl, of course, will be a huge part of Germany’s roster as they look to prove their doubters wrong at the Olympics.
It will be fascinating to see how much of an impact Samanski can make during the Olympics from here before he returns to the Condors’ roster.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
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