Confirmed with Link: Oilers Sign Josh Samanski to 2 year ELC

[Stud Muffin]

 

[Shathar]

I was just coming here to find out who he is!
so.... who dis?

 

[Shathar]

Joshua Samanski -- He has skill, and is among the best young players in the DEL (Germany's top league) this season. He's also big (listed at 6-foot-5, 189 pounds, via hockeydb) and a centre, He led his team in goals and assists during the 2024-25 season. Samanski plays in all three game states.

-- google a/i (based on a writeup, somewhere [surely]).

Being hopelessly and ridiculously optomistic, I love this stuff. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Big guy that has a good set of hands based on the limited video that I found on him. Hopefully he pans out for us.

 

[McFlyingV]

Draisaitl probably had some pull in getting him to sign here. Led his team in scoring as a 22 year old (just turned 23). Has been getting some hype as one of the best young players in the German top league. Don't know much about his game, skating, physicality, etc., but sounds like a skilled player with size. There were reports about this signing about a week ago as he got out of his contract in Germany, but they just finally announced it.

I think his 6'5 listing is wrong and he's closer to 6'2-6'3. Maybe he grew a bit, but he definitely didn't look 6'5 when he played in the world juniors.

 

[McDNicks17]

Interesting signing.

Sounds like he's got the tools to be a bottom sixer at some point. I'm not really sold on him ever bringing much offense, but it'll be interesting to see how that develops over here.

 

[Biltmore]

Draisaitl probably had some pull in getting him to sign here. Led his team in scoring as a 22 year old (just turned 23). Has been getting some hype as one of the best young players in the German top league. Don't know much about his game, skating, physicality, etc., but sounds like a skilled player with size. There were reports about this signing about a week ago as he got out of his contract in Germany, but they just finally announced it.

I think his 6'5 listing is wrong and he's closer to 6'2-6'3. Maybe he grew a bit, but he definitely didn't look 6'5 when he played in the world juniors.

Also 189 for a tall guy is fairly boney without the meat!

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

Nice, could be a useful bottom 6 player in the future.
Regarding his height, his team (and EP.com) lists him at 190cm, so about 6'2.

 

[PensFan101]

Watched him play a lot pre-Covid in his one OHL season with Owen Sound, and have followed his progression since. He flashed some NHL potential in his lone OHL year, played a very smart two-way game at 17, good skater for his size, showed some untapped scoring potential, but was definitely very raw in terms of putting everything together.

He went back to Germany during Covid because he could still play, and play professionally, and has worked his way up to being a fringe national team player (and likely will feature at the Worlds this spring). I don't think he's 6'5, but he still has good size. He's filled out a lot, and looked really good at the Spengler Cup for Straubing - he scored the goal that eliminated Team Canada in the semis.

He may still have some growing left in his game, but he probably tops out as a fourth liner who plays a responsible two-way game and doesn't get caved in during his minutes. I don't think he has the dynamic skating or high end offensive skills to be higher than that in an NHL lineup, but he's come a heck of a long way and will be cheering for him to make it. For the Oilers, he's free so any NHL time is a win on this.

 

[North]

Watched him play a lot pre-Covid in his one OHL season with Owen Sound, and have followed his progression since. He flashed some NHL potential in his lone OHL year, played a very smart two-way game at 17, good skater for his size, showed some untapped scoring potential, but was definitely very raw in terms of putting everything together.

He went back to Germany during Covid because he could still play, and play professionally, and has worked his way up to being a fringe national team player (and likely will feature at the Worlds this spring). I don't think he's 6'5, but he still has good size. He's filled out a lot, and looked really good at the Spengler Cup for Straubing - he scored the goal that eliminated Team Canada in the semis.

He may still have some growing left in his game, but he probably tops out as a fourth liner who plays a responsible two-way game and doesn't get caved in during his minutes. I don't think he has the dynamic skating or high end offensive skills to be higher than that in an NHL lineup, but he's come a heck of a long way and will be cheering for him to make it. For the Oilers, he's free so any NHL time is a win on this.

Thanks for the information!

 

[ChasinWaterfalls]

6'5 189... guy is a string bean lol

I like this signing a lot. Finding youth wherever we can helps fill the pretty bare cupboards.

 

[Zaar]

6'5 189... guy is a string bean lol

I like this signing a lot. Finding youth wherever we can helps fill the pretty bare cupboards.

Well, it looks like Oilers admin just looked up Wikipedia. On the Straubing Tigers' website, his height is listed as 1.91m which is roughly 6'3.

 

[CornKicker]

love signing potential players at low cap hits.........

does he know any goalies?

 

[OilynutEsquire]

Bowboy can turn into Bowman if he hits with one of these free wallets.

 

[TheGingaNinja]

A decent upside AHL depth forward. Seems like a smart pickup to me. Need to take some risks when your farm is bare and you have no draft capital.

 

[tiger_80]

Joshua Samanski -- He has skill, and is among the best young players in the DEL (Germany's top league) this season. He's also big (listed at 6-foot-5, 189 pounds, via hockeydb) and a centre, He led his team in goals and assists during the 2024-25 season. Samanski plays in all three game states.

-- google a/i (based on a writeup, somewhere [surely]).

Being hopelessly and ridiculously optomistic, I love this stuff. Keep 'em coming!

German Dryzaitl.

 

[Jumptheshark]

We are sort of desperate on the farm for youth

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

We are sort of desperate on the farm for youth

Especially at forward.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

A nice post on the mains about Samanski from @Chapin Landvogt

"This is an exciting under-the-table addition.

Samanski's father is Canadian and although Josh grew up in Germany, he did spend two years playing junior hockey in Canada, one in the OHL.

Already big at a younger age, he still had coordination issues at that time, but since he's returned to Germany, he's done nothing but get better and better and better, season for season. His game has looked refined from one season to the next, year for year.

This year, he took flight for good. He wasn't just hanging around with the older players and contributing the nice little play here or there, and being Johnny on the spot while the established players did their thing. Now he was making the music.

When he was on the ice, things were happening with rhyme and reason. In general, his point production this season continually stuck out as well executed. There were a number of plays where his pure ability and slick hands made something out of nothing. In addition, he gelled with his team's best players. There was clear chemistry.

On top of that, he's got a big body and skates faster and more coordinated than one might imagine. He has no qualms about being in physical situations and he's spent the past few seasons in more of a defensive role, one he executed very well.

His 40 points in 52 regular season games this season for what ended up being an average team were the kind of numbers you just don't see from 22-year olds in the DEL. The last time we saw a young impact DEL forward signed to an NHL contract right out of the DEL was when Dominik Kahun put up a 41-point regular season, shortly before turning 24.

Moreover, there's little doubt that Craig Woodcraft had a role in this. That should mean for Oilers' fans that he was basically able to inform the staff that Samanski has NHL game.

I don't see why Samanski can't be what Nico Sturm is at the NHL level. A solid season of AHL play with a call-up along the way should give a solid indication of whether he can factor in down the line."