Oilers Prospect Josh Samanski Named to Germany’s Olympic Roster

Of the 134 NHL players that will be competing at the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, only two are members of the Edmonton Oilers: centres Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

On one hand, it’s disappointing that so few Edmonton players are going to the Winter Games, but (as previously opined) it’s also not such a bad thing. Considering the number of games that this team has played over the last few years, there are a lot of Oilers who would benefit from a break – especially while some of the top Stanley Cup contenders will have nearly half the players on their roster destroying one another overseas in the battle for a gold medal.

There will be another member of the Oilers organization on the ice in Italy, however. On Wednesday (Jan. 7), it was announced that Bakersfield Condors centre Josh Samanski has been named to Germany’s men’s hockey roster for the 2026 Winter Games. In this case, Samanski’s Olympic participation is a very good thing for the Oilers.

Samanski Is Playing Great in the AHL

This is Samanski’s first season in the American Hockey League (AHL). He signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers last April, after spending most of the past four seasons with the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Samanski had played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Owen Sound Attack in 2019-20, but went undrafted to the NHL.

Thus far, Samanski is performing quite well with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate. The 23-year-old has been in the lineup for all 33 of Bakersfield’s games, totalling six goals, 20 assists, and 36 penalty minutes, while compiling a plus/minus rating of plus-7. He’s averaging more than one point per game over the last 20 contests, with five goals and 16 assists in that span.

Samanski’s prowess was on full display with the Condors in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Dec. 19, when he factored on all of his team’s goals in regulation, scoring twice and recording two assists. Just before that, Samanski had a six-game point streak from Nov. 22 to Dec. 10.

Samanski Has Yet to Play in the NHL

Beginning with his strong showing during the NHL preseason, Samanski has been so impressive over the last few months that there are calls for him to get a shot with the Oilers. Many forwards are in the mix between Bakersfield and Edmonton, however, and when they’ve needed to recall one this season, the Oilers have opted for the likes of Max Jones, Isaac Howard and Quinn Hutson, rather than Samanski.